


The Adventure of a Lifetime

by ravensnwritingdesks



Series: A Most Magical Creature Series [10]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: (somewhere in the mix), Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Babies, Childbirth, Cute Kids, Daddy!Newt, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family, Family Fluff, Fluff, Jewish Characters, Magical Creatures, Married Couple, Married Life, PPD, Pregnancy, Raising kids, Starting A Family, Toddlers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2018-11-01 01:40:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 81,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10911720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravensnwritingdesks/pseuds/ravensnwritingdesks
Summary: In the spring of 1933 Newt and Tina Scamander unexpectedly receive some joyful news. It shouldn't have come as that much of a surprise, really, but even the most wished for things get pushed to the back of the mind when life and work conspire to keep you busy.These are Newtina's adventures in... becoming parents.





	1. Part 1: A New Adventure

**Author's Note:**

> This story arc has been long in the making, but after quite a bit of research and planning I finally feel comfortable enough to start posting!   
> As always, comments are love and keep this author writing! So don't hesitate to leave a little something down in the comment box, even if it's just a smiley and absolute letter gibberish ;)  
> Enjoy!

**Provence, June 1928**

"Tina?" he called out inside the suitcase but got no answer in return.

It was around noon and both Newt and Tina had spend a bit of time inside the suitcase to look after his creatures. Honeymoon or not, they still needed to be tended to and his wife had as always been glad to help. Dougal's nest was empty as he passed it on his way back to the shed, so the Demiguise would most likely be with his favourite human. The two of them had formed a wonderful friendship that brought a smile to his lips whenever he saw the creature interacting with the Auror.

"Tina?" Still no answer. She must have gone back upstairs then... with Dougal? He frowned for a moment, then shrugged. "Let's see where they have gone off to then..."

Newt climbed swiftly up the ladder and emerged from the suitcase with Pickett sitting comfortably in the pocket of his waistcoat. He caught sight of two shapes outside in the garden... one of them was the brunette witch he had been looking for, as predicted with the furry Demiguise by her side. He stepped closer to the first floor window of the bedroom to watch them for a moment. 

Newt couldn't help a smile at the lovely sight below of him. They were walking through the backgarden and it seemed quite like Tina was teaching him about the flora of southern France... they looked at the last poppies and early blooming roses, sniffed at the purple irises, the rosemary, thyme and lavender. It didn't take long though for an outraged chirp to reach his ears when the Bowtruckle had climbed up to his shoulder to have a look himself. He seemed none too happy about the fact that a creature other than him was out of the case and Newt didn't make any effert to try and put them back again.

"Calm down, Pick," he tried to sooth his little green friend who was dangling from his finger in front of his face now. "You know Dougal is too attached to her to run off... and Tina is quick with a Freezing Spell should he try anyway."

No, Dougal would not make a run for it. He was too absorbed in what Tina was showing him.

"Look at them," he spoke softly to the Bowtruckle who now had returned into his pocket to sulk. He only got an indifferent chirp in reply but Newt didn't rise to the challenge... not this time. His gaze turned back to the garden and for a split second he didn't see Tina with a Demiguse down there but rather... another tiny being, creamy skin and wild hair. Newt blinked and the picture was gone. But it left him rattled.

Children. That would be some time off still.

They had both agreed to not start a family just yet and for now Tina had taken the neccessary precautions too. Some day though... _If we are lucky_ , he thought and grimaced to himself. Newt was quite aware of a strange fertility problem running in the family and there was a not so small a chance that they might just not be so lucky after all. The thought hadn't bothered him before, when a family hadn't been anywhere near the front of his thoughts... or actually in the realm of possibilities to be frank. But now that he was married and very much in love it was another thing entirely.

The wish was there on both sides, he knew. But if it should turn out that he couldn't give his wife what she wanted when the time came, what then? The thought had been in the back of his mind ever since Theseus reluctantly had admitted to having that very problem. In that case... would Tina be agreeable to the alternative?

Their children did not neccessarily have to be biologial ones. Unlike his older brother Newt's motivation was _not_ to continue the family line and so he was not averse to taking in a parentless child to love and raise as his own. And part of him strongly believed Tina wouldn't be against it either... She knew first-hand what it was like to loose both parents, and unlike many others she and Queenie had been lucky enough to be taken in by a distant relative. Surely she wouldn't mind giving a loving home to an innocent child with no one else to care for.

If he should fail her. Because he couldn't deny that the thought of a daughter or son with green eyes and Tina's smile was still one he preferred.

Distant laughter pulled Newt from his thought and back into the real world. A chuckle escaped him when he saw Dougal sitting on the lawn, adorned with a simple flower crown made from poppies and greens. He left his place at the window and made his way downstairs to join them in the garden.

They would have to cross that bridge when they came to it, some time in the not so near future. Maybe they would be lucky after all. And if he was wrong in his beliefs... they still had a suitcase full of creatures.

 

* * *

 

**Dorset, April 1933**

Newt had just brewed himself a cup of tea when his wife stepped out of the fireplace in their kitchen, accompanied by the loud whoosh of green flames and some soot.

"You're home early, love," he greeted her after a quick look at his watch. No, he hadn't lost track of the time again, it really was only past noon.

"Not by choice... " she grumbled as she took off her grey coat and hat, running her hand through the wavy chin-length hair.

Newt frowned. There were only two reasons why Tina would have been sent home from work: being sick or suspended... and she was too calm for the latter to have happened. His usual bout of worry set in. "Are you alright, Tina?"

"Sure," she answered and went straight to start preparing a cup of coffee for herself. "Why do you ask that, darling?"

"Because you've been terribly exhausted for a while now. And I noticed that you haven't eaten all that much lately, not even the pastries Jacob made you last week... and now you've been sent home early from work."

She turned around to look at him and shook her head. "It's nothing, really. Work is wearing me down and I've just... felt a little queasy for the past week or so. That doesn't help much with the appetite, you know?"

Newt chided himself internally. He should have seen that she hadn't fltl well, Tina was his wife for Merlin's sake! But she really didn't look ill... perfectly healthy in fact if it weren't for the reduced appetite and being increasingly tired.

He hesitated. "Uhm... what exactly happened today that made Ogden sent you home?"

"I was sick during a briefing," she admitted with a sigh. "But it's not a bug or anything. I just couldn't stand the smell of Herford's new cologne from such close proximity. It smells really disgusting."

Newt pondered this for a moment. Fatigue, nausea without actual cause and an apparent strong reaction to smell. He calculated some numbers in his head and came to a startling conclusion... _Could it be?_

He took a deep breath before speaking again. "I think you should go and see a Healer, love."

Tina chuckled. "I told you I'm fine, Newt. I was sick twice in as many weeks, and both times it occurred after that grumpy old wizard and his cloud of what he dubs a cologne came near me. So I'll take the two sick-days they forced on me, go back to work on Saturday and try to keep my distance from him. There's nothing wrong with me."

She had turned around to leave the kitchen now, cup of coffee in hand, but Newt only smiled at her stubborness. He wrapped her in his arms as she passed him to keep her with him for just a bit longer... he wasn't done talking yet.

"I don't think anything is _wrong_ with you, Tina," he spoke over her shoulder and placed a kiss to her covered shoulder. "But now with the nausea and sensitivity to certain smells... it makes me think. It's been what... eight weeks now since you bled last, hasn't it?"

Tina remained unmoving in his arms for a long moment before she nodded. Newt let both of his hands rest lightly over her stomach when he offered his suspicion to her. "I think it's quite possible that... we may be expecting an addition to our little family, my love."

She turned to look at him with eyes wide in surprise. "But how-?"

Newt shook his head with a shy smile. "There was that lovely night early last month, in the heat of the moment neither of us cared all that much about casting a spell... Remember?"

Because he certainly did. It had been a very long and satisfying night somewhere in the Brazilian rainforest... with both of them too occupied with one another to notice the lack of contraception until the next morning. They had readily agreed to let nature run it's course though... since it turned out that a family was something they had both been thinking about for a while.

She nodded and bit her lower lip trying to hide a grin at the memory.

"And neither of us has taken any precautions since then," he explained further. "At least I haven't... since this is what we both wanted back then."

"We should probably go and see a Healer then," she said with a small smile and laced their hands together over her stomach. "Just to make sure..."

Newt grinned and nodded. _Should we really be so lucky?_

 

* * *

That night they lay together in bed sharing the warmth of a blanket, Tina wrapped in his arms and snuggled closely into his chest to escape the cool of an early spring night in England. They had been in South America not too long ago and the difference in climate was rather pronounced at this time of year.

"Oh!" Tina exclaimed suddenly and grinned at him. "You think that's why Dougal has been more careful and protective around me lately when I'm down in the case? Creatures can sense these things, right?"

They had flooed to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries earlier that afternoon so his wife could get checked over... to make sure it really wasn't something else that caused her symptoms. So, after a number of preliminary questions and a not too short examination the Healer had smiled and tentatively suggested Tina might indeed by pregnant. She had insisted on trying a newly developed testing potion though to make sure... and the result had been a very clear and resounding yes.

The news had been received with teary smiles that neither of them could hold back anymore once the witch had given them a moment to themselves. And Newt hadn't been able to stop smiling since then... He would be a father before the end of the year.

Newt thought on her question for a moment. "Most creatures can smell it at some point, the change occurring in your body. Dougal might also have seen it though. It's been years since I got him but I still don't know just how far into the future a Demiguise's precognitive sight can go." He chuckled. "You should expect more special treatment from our creatures though, at least when you're further along."

Tina hummed and snuggled back into him. "You think the Niffler might finally stop trying to steal my necklace?"

"I really wouldn't hold out too much hope for that... You know he's become even more greedy since we found him a mate."

They lay in silence for a while, basking in their closeness and each others company. Newt carefully shifted onto his side to face her and gently stroked a strand of dark hair back behind her ear. She had let it grow out a little so that it reached past her chin now.

"You _are_ happy about this, love, aren't you?" he asked tentatively. She had wanted this, back in Brazil when they had agreed to see what would happen, and seemed genuinely happy when the pregnancy had been confirmed today but... he needed to make sure he hadn't somehow misread her. It still happened, even after almost five years of marriage.

"Of course I'm happy, Newt." Her happy expression turned into a slight frown. "Any reasons not to be?"

He eased her frown with a brush of his thumb and gave a crooked halfsmile. "It's just that we didn't exactly plan this..."

"No, we really didn't," she agreed with a chuckle. "But right now is as good a time as any to start a family I think... And no amount of planning would have made much of a difference I'd say."

"It may have come as less of a surprise... wonderful as it is."

Tina shook her head. "It wouldn't have been a surprise if I hadn't been so bloody busy at work lately. The signs were all there but I dismissed them as related to the stress." She nuzzled his hand where it now cradled her cheek. "Turns out, you seem to know me better than I."

"Well, yours isn't the first pregnancy I diagnosed," Newt chuckled softly. "I'm glad you're happy about it though."

They shared a happy smile, bright and broad and lovely. And here in the small space between them with the wonderful news still fresh on his mind, he finally let himself share a worry that had been nagging at him for years. "It makes me really happy too, love. I've been wanting this for a while you know, only... I wasn't too sure if we... if _I_ even could."

Her expression turned to one of mild sympathy and returning his own gesture Tina moved to cradle his stubbly cheek. "Darling... I didn't know that thought worried you so. You should have told me."

Newt shook his head. "How could it not worry me... that strange curse of infertility is the very reason there's only one branch of Scamanders left today."

But Tina just smiled at him, the broad glowing smile she usually only reserved for him. "Not anymore though, Newt. Your brother finally has a daughter... and now we're having a baby, too. That's two branches in the making. The family tree is budding and blooming again."

Newt chuckled. "A lot of tending will be needed though. Years of it..."

Tina hummed in acknoledgement. "This is gonna be quite the adventure isn't it?"

"Oh yes," he replied and placed a soft kiss to her wrist. "One I personally wouldn't want to miss for the world."

Tina giggled as he wriggled further down the bed, pushed her pyjama top up and began to kiss and caress her belly. It was still as flat as it had always been... but it wouldn't take that long now for that to change. He placed a reverent kiss just below her navel where their child was growing.

"Hello little stranger," he whispered. "We don't know each other yet, but your mummy and I are already _very_ excited to meet you in a few months."

A hand stroked gently through his hair and Newt looked up to see his wife smile warmly at him. "Too early?" he wondered.

She shook her head. "It's never too early to show a child they're loved."

"And... what about the mother?" he asked with a crooked grin.

Tina giggled. "She already knows. Quite frankly, right now she has trouble deciding if she'd rather have your mouth move upwards again... or go lower."

With a chuckle he gently pushed his wife onto her back and shifted up the bed until they were face to face again, bracing himself on one arm as the other hand cradled the side of her head. "How about I start up here..." He touched his lips to her forehead. "... and slowly make my way downwards..." A kiss to the bridge of her nose, followed by one to the tip. "... until you tell me to stop?"

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and playfully brushed their noses together.

"I like the ideas you have, Mr. Scamander... and maybe I'm not so tired after all."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those interested... Newt and Tina's fruitful venture into the Amazon rainforest can be read [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10954155) ;) (Warning: explicit content)


	2. Part 1: May All Go Well

They visited Jacob and Queenie the next evening. It was Passover and Queenie had invited them to join their little family for the beginning of Shabbat after having the Passover Seder at their cottage in Dorset a few nights ago. 

The two lovebirds had finally gotten married on a rainy day in August 1929, after Jacob first had worked at and then taken over a Muggle bakery in Godric's Hollow. The couple now lived in a cozy flat above the bakery just off the village square and were doing comperatively well for themselves. The Great Depression was still in full swing, leaving most Muggles next to no money for anything but the absolute neccessary... but Jacob had changed his offered goods from unique and exquisitly tasty to affordable for all and filling. He was still sold out on most days and could make a living for himself and his family.

This time they used the Floo Network rather than Apparition to get to Godric's Hollow. They were greeted by excited squeals and jumps from a three year old boy with a curly mop of blond hair and dark brown eyes. Their nephew Samuel. Newt for once only paid attention to the child after making sure Tina was okay. Flooing, she had found out by now, didn't really help with the feeling of slight nausea that came and went at will. But for a pregnant witch it was the safest option of travel, apart from Muggle transportations of course.

Queenie Kowalski found the two of them in the living room when Hilda, her neighbour and mother to Sammy's playmate Flavius, had left. She turned to them with a huge smile on her face, squealing and clapping her hands in glee.

" _In a guter sho_ , Teenie. May all go well!" she exclaimed happily. "Sorry, but it's all over your thoughts... Oh, I'm so happy for you two!"

Tina knew that she would have jumped up and down too if she hadn't been eight months pregnant at the moment. Little Samuel would get a brother or sister before the summer.

"Thank you, Queenie," she chuckled and moved forward to hug and kiss her sister in greeting. "It's still a little unreal... I'm gonna be a mother. Can you believe it?"

The blonde witch still beamed. "When did you find out?"

"Honestly... yesterday," she admitted. "It was Newt who managed to put all the facts together. Things I thought were because of the stress at work... being tired and feeling a little off in general. We've been to see a Healer to confirm the suspicions though." She looked back a her husband who was just picking up his grinning nephew before continuing. "And he was right... I'm pregnant. Mercy Lewis, that still feels weird to say."

Queenie giggled and moved to give her brother-in-law a hug, too. And a kiss to her son, who was now perched on Newt's hip and happily babbling away about his day so far. "Oh, this is fantastic! I didn't even know you guys were trying yet."

"Uhm, we didn't actually... try," Newt explained sheepishly as his cheeks colourd a slight pink. That adorable reaction to anything hinting at a more intimate topic hadn't changed much over the years and Tina still loved it.

"Is that so?" Queenie smirked and Tina was left wondering for a moment what exactly her sister was seeing in his mind right now. Since coming to England five years ago her troubles with reading Brits had all but disappeared.

"Jacob is still downstairs I assume?" Newt asked, obviously trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, he's just closing up, shouldn't be long now. But I'm sure he'd appreciate some help with it, honey." Queenie winked at him. Newt smiled in thanks and set the boy down again so he could go and chase after Queenie's very indulgent and cuddly Puffskein (an present from the man himself) before moving towards the door leading outside.

"Don't forget to clean up before coming back upstairs though," Tina called after him. "I won't have you bringing in chametz from the bakery!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Newt gave her a crooked little grin, one of her favourites, and vanished out the door.

Tina chuckled. Her husband probably needed a little pep talk from Jacob, experienced father to father-to-be. He'd been all smiles and happiness ever since the Healer at St. Mungo's told them that yes, they were indeed going to be parents. But there had to be few qualms, too...Tina certainly had them. The world was not at its most stable right now.

"Oh Teen, don't worry about the world at large when you're still comfortable in Dorset," Queenie interrupted her thoughts. "And you're going to be a great mother!"

She sighed. Of course she'd picked up on those thoughts too... they had been her constant companion since Newt took a guess at her medical condition the day before. "That obvious?"

"You're really easy to read for me, hon. And I know you... you always worry about not being good enough. I've been through that when you first became an Auror, and again excessively when Newt came back to court you, and when he took you to met his parents. Do I need to go on?"

"I know, I know..." She chuckled and followed the blonde into the kitchen where she had already started preparing the Shabbat dinner they had been invited for.

Queenie was right of course... she always worried too much. She'd raised lots of creatures with Newt by now, as well as her own sister many many years ago. And their living situation was not half as bad as it could have been following the crash of the markets. They had a roof over their heads and a sizeable garden that yielded good crops of vegetables and fruits each year. The sale of Newt's book had understandably gone down since late in '29, but they both miraculously still worked their jobs at the Ministry and had overall managed to save enough to get by in harder times. Not something most other people could claim these days.

"See, I told you it's gonna be okay. You'll do wonderful. Now stop worrying and help me with the work here? It's gonna be dark soon."

Queenie pointed her to the sturdy table in the middle of the kitchen and obediently she started on preparing matzah, the only Passover food she really couldn't make worse with her lacking kitchen skills, as Queenie stirred the pots and pans on the stove. It smelled like chicken soup, brisket and Queenie's apple kugel.

"You're really taking this serious now, don't you?" Tina wondered.

Queenie and herself had never been too observant in their faith before... most Saturdays had been spend working back in New York and apart from the more important holidays they had only rarely visited a shul or synagogue. But ever since Samuel had been born Queenie had spend time to get back in touch with Judaism.

"I do and you know why, Teenie. I want my children to be raised Jewish, and what better way to teach and learn than living it for and with them."

She hummed in reply. She wanted her unborn child to be raised in the Jewish faith as well... but she wasn't sure if she could actually manage to observe each and every rule and holiday to be a good example for her child.

"It's not about being the perfect example, Teenie. It's about trying to be as good as you can be," Queenie answered her inner musings. "Have you talked to Newt about it yet?"

"Not yet. But I can't really see him objecting to be honest. He's not really the religious type and neither is his family... so there should be no pressure from there."

Queeni nodded. "He's so thrilled to be a father... it's really sweet."

"I know, he's been giddy since yesterday." Tina poured the flour into a clean bowl and magically mixed it with water into a useable dough. "I don't think it has registered yet that the planned trip to America in the summer definitely won't be happening now. That's the second time he's been kept from studying Sasquatches now."

Queenie grinned at her. "I'm sure he'd much rather wanna study the development of his own child than the mating habits of a Sasquatc, Teen."

Tina couldn't help a disbelieving groan as that thought hit her. "Merlin, that's gonna be a whole new set of study notes, ain't it?"

Her sister giggled. "Absolutely."

With a few flicks of her wand the dough inside the bowl now divided itself into small portions that floated through the air, rolling themselves out into a flat shape before turning crispy. The unleavened bread landed neatly on a cooling rack to be placed on a serving plate before dinner.

Queenie watched her with approval. "You're cooking skills have definitely improved since you married Newt. Now," her approving smile turned into a curious one, "what did he say earlier about you not actually _trying_ to have a baby?"

Tina chuckled as she put a hand over her eyes and shook her head. "Let's just say that... there was one night when we were not as careful as usual on our last trip." She tried to keep the memories of that wonderful night in Eden locked away in her mind but to no avail.

A slight blush crept up her cheeks as the blonde began to smirk. "Oooh, I can see why. 'Be fruitful and multiply', huh?"

Thankfully their husbands chose that exact moment to rejoin them, sparing Tina the need to answer.

 

Queenie and Tina prepared the dinner table for the five of them and lighted candles while the men cleaned up for dinner. They all gathered around the table at nightfall when Shabbat began. The kiddush was recited over a beautiful silver cup of wine that was passed around. Then the unleavened matzah bread was blessed and divided among them

Samuel, now dressed up with his blonde locks tamed and combed down, made a face when he got the piece of bread from his mother. "I don't like massa, momma," he mumbled and looked at it with all the disdain of a three-year-old. It looked rather adorable to be honest.

Queenie chuckled and patted his head. "It's just a small piece, Sammy. You don't have to eat more than that, alright?"

A frown appeared on his little forehead he kept looking at the offensive food in question but then he gave a little sigh before bravely chewing and swallowing it.

"See, that wasn't so hard, hm?" He shook his head. "It's Passover so we can't eat the challah we usually have on Friday night."

"Daddy's gonna make some next week though," Jacob added with a chuckle and Sammy's face lit up again.

Tina leaned forward across the table and mock-whispered "Psst, I don't like it too much either, Sammy... unless it's in your mommy's apple kugel."

That got a huge grin out of the boy and Tina felt her heart melt just a little bit more. In three years time she would have her own sweet little son or daughter smiling at her like that (hopefully)... a child that was growing inside her right now. She was once again stunned by the reality of it. _I'm gonna be a mother._

 

The entire dinner was a lovely familly affair, only disrupted by the slight feeling of queasiness returning to her stomach halfway through. She quietly sat down her cutlery and pressed a hand to her stomach in hopes of preventing any unpleasant reactions. _Not now... please not now._

Newt had just turned to ask what was wrong when steaming cup appreared on the table in front of her. "Drink up, Teenie."

"What?" She took the cup and doubtfully sniffed at it. The bevearage inside smelled rather sharp and frankly not very appetizing.

"It's a mild ginger tea," Queenie explained. "Helps with the nausea... did for me at least. Try it."

Tina frowned at her sister for a moment before carefully taking a sip of the hot liquid. It was not as revolting as anticipated and she already felt slightly better after the second sip. She turned to Newt with a happy expression. "It works... for now at least." She might get to eat a piece of that beautiful and delicious apple pie after all.

Queenie giggled. "You're welcome, honey!"

 

* * *

 

They returned to the cottage some hours later, both happy and quite filled with Queenie's delicious cooking.

"So, are you going to keep Shabbat this week?" Newt asked curiously once they had cleaned themselves of the soot left behind by flooing. "Because if so I better get a move on. Our creatures won't feed themselves."

Tina chuckled and followed him out of the kitchen. "Feeding animals is not actually forbidden, darling. But you know I won't. I need to get back to work tomorrow, criminals don't catch themselves..."

Newt took her hand as they walked through the hallway to the backroom Newt had dubbed his office. A chaotic mess of herbs and plants, paper and clutter spread out over two desks and most of the wall space with a closed leather suitcase lying innocently in the middle of it all. "Will you tell Ogden?"

"I... I don't know yet," she admitted.

Tina had pushed thoughts on that particular subject to the back of her mind until now... She would have to tell her boss at some point of course, but that would go hand in hand with loosing her job. What good was an Auror who couldn't do the neccessary fieldwork anymore? She couldn't apparate while pregnant, the danger for her unborn child was too much. And that would leave her more of a liability than an asset in the field.

She knew that after getting married this would happen at some point... married female Aurors always stepped down sooner or later. But facing the reality of it now was harder than expected. Newt would be solely responsible for providing for them once she had announced her pregnany at work. He'd get a new security detail as well... and presumably would continue his travels without her. That thought probably hurt her more than loosing the job she had worked so hard for.

"I'm sorry, love." Newt turned back to her and pulled her into his arms. "I didn't mean to upset you with this."

Tina sighed and leaned against him. "I'll loose my job if I tell Ogden I'm expecting. They need all hands on deck with everything that's going on right now and I'll be useless to them if I can't apparate."

"Honestly, apparating is the least of my concerns," he replied softly. "In this stage of pregnany it's not too dangerous yet. I'm more worried about you getting hit by a hex or curse out there, love. You might be able to brush those off and carry on as usual but..." His voice turned into a whisper. "This early it might cause you to loose the precious gift we've been given."

Tina stiffened. That thought hadn't even occurred to her yet. She couldn't let that happen. Just the thought of loosing their unborn child because of her carelessness caused her heartbeat to pick up, the pressure of panic to build inside her. No, she couldn't let that happen, _wouldn't_ let that happen. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself again. It took a bit of effort.

"You're right," she finally admitted. "But... I don't think we could affort for me to loose my job yet, Newt. You know that's going to happen."

She felt his arms tighten around her back. "Don't worry, I'm sure Theseus would have a word or two to say about you getting fired over this. Who knows, Ogden might actually appreciate having someone around at the Office to coordinate missions and assignments in his stead. He seems to loathe that part of his job from what you tell me."

Tina thought about his words. Theseus' influence was how she had gotten her the job in the first place five years ago.... her brother-in-law was the Head of Magical Law Enforcement and therefore the boss of her boss. Would she really want to make use of the family connections like that again?

 _Yes_ , if it meant a chance of more security and stability for her child.

"Herford is gonna have a field day when he hears about this." She could already picture his 'I told you so' victory lap through the Auror Offices. That particular colleague of hers was not a fan of woman working... especially not married ones, especially not as an Auror.

Newt chuckled softly. "Ogden may be more understanding of the situation than you think and keep it quiet for a while. If that all fails...I'm sure Theseus or even my father might have use for a secretary?"

"Hm... would that be less tiresome deskwork than writing up an investigation? If so I'm sold on _that_ position. When can I start?"

She felt the rumble of his laugh where she leaned against his chest. "You're entirely overqualified to bring my brother his coffee and send memos, Porpentina Scamander."

"But also entirely underqualified to bring him his tea," she quipped in reply. It was true... even after five years and about a hundered lessons in the art of tea making she still couldn't manage a decent, up-to-standard brew. Neither magical nor the old-fashioned manual way. But Tina preferred coffee anyways.

With a chuckle Newt released her from the comfortable safety of his embrace and grinned at her. "I'm afraid that makes you unqualified for just about any assisting or secretary position in Britain, my love. Apart from one, maybe..."

He turned towards the brown leather case sitting on the floor. "Interested in assisting an eccentric wizard with a case full of magical creatures?"

Tina grinned. "I'm not sure that is less dangerous than apprehending criminals. But if it means I get to continue travelling with you... lead the way, Mr. Scamander."

 

They spent the next hour with their creatures, feeding, watering and tending to land-, air- and sea creatures alike. The Demiguise kept a watchful eye on Tina from a distance as had been his habit for the last two weeks at least. Newt observed the whole thing with interest and hastily scribbled a few words into the notebook he usually carried with him. _So the study notes have already begun_ , she thought wryly and carried on to feed the new group mooncalves they had taken in last fall.

Once their evening rounds were done and both of them had returned to the wooden shed Dougal approached her almost shyly and touched a hand to her stomach.

"So you too, huh?" Tina chuckled and affectionately stroked his hairy white head. It seemed that just about everyone around her knew about her condition before she did... Shouldn't a woman usually notice such changes in herself _before_ anyone else?

The Demiguise didn't answer with words or gestures... but he was definitely smiling at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not Jewish myself so I hope I did not too bad with adding some Jewish representation to this. Thanks to @loon-whisperer for giving a few pointers and answering my questions. I hope I got it somewhat right!  
> A few translations and explanations:  
> \- _Passover_ Jewish holiday commemorating the liberation of Jews from slavery in ancient Egypt.  
>  \- _In a guter sho_ is the Yiddish version of _b'sha'ah tovah_ , a common response to pregnancy announcement. It literally means "in a good hour", wishing that all may go well for mother and child. Living and growing up in New York the Goldstein sisters would be more familiar with Yiddish that Hebrew.  
> \- _Chametz_ describes leavened food such as normal bread and pastries from Jacob's bakery, which is forbidden on Passover and should not even be in the house.  
>  \- _Shabbat_ might be known. It's the Jewish day of rest, starting Friday night at sunset and lasting all through Saturday.  
>  \- _Matzah_ is a special kind of unleavened bread eaten during Passover.  
>  \- _Kugel_ is a casserole, in this case one made with apples and matzah meant for dessert.  
>  \- _Kiddush_ is a blessing spoken over a cup of wine at the beginning of the evening meal on Shabbat and Jewish holidays.  
>  \- _Challah_ is a special ceremonial bread for blessings on Shabbat and Jewish holidays.  
>  Phew, that was quite the list. Don't worry, this won't happen for every chapter... 
> 
> Next week we're going to Scamander Manor again for more announcements. And keep your eyes peeled for a new story up on Monday as well... ;)


	3. Part 1: News to Share

Two days later found the Scamanders and Kowalskis all gathered at Scamander Manor for his mother's Easter Brunch... which was really more of a family gathering than a religious festivity as the name suggested. A gathering that just happened to be on Easter Sunday and had been for decades. It had changed quite a bit since the stuffy affairs of his childhood days though.

For one, it wasn't just his parents and brother anymore. The number of people attending had grown from four to ten by now. Theseus' wife Arabella and their daughter Flora had joined them. As did Queenie and Jacob with their son, who had all been welcomed into the family both as relations by marriage and friends of the family. And of course there was Tina by his side these days. The addition of wives and lately children had made for a much merrier atmosphere altogether, at any of their family gatherings really, and Newt no longer dreaded those visits as he had done before. In fact, he attended more of them these days than he had in a very long time.

"Do you think you're ready to go, love?" After a bout of morning sickness earlier this morning Tina was a little behind her intended schedule and while Newt had done what he could to help her out, she insisted on finishing the rest herself. Now it was close to eleven already and they were going to be even later than usual...

"In a minute, darling!" She waved her wand and put the finishing touches to the matzah ball soup that was simmering on the stove before sealing the pot and charming it to keep the contents warm. "Okay, now we can go."

Another thing that had changed with the gathering was the meal itself. Usually heavily Easter-themed and planned by his mother and the family's House-Elves, the festive brunch had become more of lengthy family luncheon of joint effort in the past years. Since the day usually coincided with Passover both Tina and Queenie had started to provide dishes that were kosher for them to eat following the year after their move to England. And with that it had become somewhat of an unconventional new tradition for everyone to contribute something edible as well. 

Newt chuckled and took hold of the charmed and sealed dish already containing a vegetable casserole and waited for her by the fireplace.

"Newt... we're gonna tell your parents today, right?" Tina's voice sounded a little shaky and Newt turned back to her with an encouraging smile.

"That was the plan, love," he answered softly. Newt closed their distance and cradled her jaw in his hand when he saw her worrying her lip. "But we don't have to yet. Would you rather we wait?"

"No, we really should. I'm just... "

 _... nervous,_ he knew. So was he, though only a little hidden under quite a bit of excitement. So far Tina's sister and his brother knew already that they were about to become parents. And that only because one could not be avoided telling while the other could not avoid seeing it on their minds. His parents were the only family members who didn't actually know yet and could be told willingly.

Newt smiled and kissed her nose. "I know, love. How about we wait a bit today to announce our news then? Just until your nerves have settled a little?"

She nodded. "Yes. Okay. Maybe... some time after lunch?"

"Alright then." He grinned. "Now, we just have to _get_ there."

 

* * *

 

This year the weather had decided to be worthy for April and graced them with a light but persistent drizzle so that the family had to stay inside the house instead of having a nice day out in the garden. Much to the dismay of both his parents they would not be able to stage a magical Easter Egg hunt around the grounds either... Samuel Kowalski and Flora Scamander, three and four years old by now, were quite happy to engage in a fantastical bunny chase through the Manor between the main course and dessert though. 

"It's so wonderful to have the house full of life again," Gracia exclaimed with a grin as the two ran past her after a white rabbit Perseus had conjured. "It's been so quiet here since you two moved out to Godric's Hollow."

Queenie smiled. "I know, Gracia. But we come to visit every now then, so do Arabella and Flora. And so do Newt and Tina when they're actually in the country for once."

"Hey, we're not abroad _that_ often," Tina replied defensively, causing the others to laugh. 

Theseus chuckled. "I probably should have drawn a line at fifteen weeks of gallivanting per year," he teased her further. "But how was I to know that even marriage couldn't cause Newt to settle down a little."

"It may have escaped your notice, brother, but I've settled down alright," Newt explained over his cup of tea. "Got my own house and all. And we even stay there from time to time." Their travelling was actually not nearly as frequent as they just made it out to be and the cottage in Dorset was actually home. 

"Unless you get a chance to study something incredibly exotic. Firecrabs... or what was it this time?" 

"Fire _Slugs_ ," Tina corrected his brother and Newt felt his heart swell with pride. "And Caiporas too when the chance presented itself... And I know which of them I would rather encounter again." Newt grinned. That answer would be: neither.

 

It was during dessert when conversation had lulled a little that Newt glanced over at his wife. With everyone happily gathered around the table with cake or kugel it would be a good time to officially break the news... unless Tina had changed her mind of course. She caught his eye and smiled, quickly nodding in answer to his unspoken question. And so, after taking a deep calming breath, Newt cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

"Uhm... since we're all together," Newt tentatively started when all eyes were more or less curiously focussed on him. He looked at Tina once more before continuing with a little more confidence. "Tina and I have some news to share with you."

His father began to chuckle, a deep rumble from the other end of the table. "So, where are you two going to travel now, Newton? You just returned from ten weeks in South America last month..."

Newt shook his head, trying his best not to feel put off by the thought that travels were apparently the only news they ever had to share. "No," he replied politely, "we're not going on another journey, Father." He paused for a moment. "Well, in a manner of speaking perhaps. Because it's going to be quite a journey I'm sure. But no, we're actually going to stay in Dorset for a bit now... You see-"

"I'm pregnant," Tina revealed calmly but smiling, thankfully cutting his nervous ramblings short.

They were met with a few beats of silence before the news had sunk in with the rest of the family... or with his parents at least. While Theseus had kept a neutral face so far Arabella, Queenie and Jacob had already been smiling knowingly from the minute Newt had spoken about sharing some news. His parents looked a little shocked though.... shocked, but delighted.

"Oh Tina! Newt! Really?" his mother breathed, joyful tears already forming in her eyes. 

They both nodded. "Yes, Gracia. Newt and I are having a baby."

Their eyes met as Newt covered her hand with his own on the table and squeezed it gently. Her smile was mirrored by a soppy grin of his own. "Yes," he whispered more to her than the others, "we're going to be parents."

It still sounded more like wishful thinking than reality, truth be told. But the Healer at St. Mungo's had been very sure about it. And by his calculation it shouldn't be too long now before it should become more visible as well.

His mother had left her seat by now and had come around the table to engulf Tina in a teary-eyed hug. "Pregnant. That is such wonderful news!" she sniffed, then held his wife at arms length and mustered her. "You've still got a while to go though, hm? You're not showing yet."

Tina chuckled. "Yes, it's still early, Gracia... due some time in November apparently."

He saw his mother smirk knowingly for a moment before turning her attentions (and hugs) to her son. Newt soothingly patted her back to stop her tears, even if they were happy ones. No son liked to see their mother cry. "This makes me so happy, Newt. Both of my boys having little ones of their own soon..."

"I know, Mother. Me too... me too." Over her shoulder he could see his father getting up now, rounding the table with a smile on his face. 

"Well, that was an unexpected announcement," he chuckled and made to congratulate Tina with a handshake. " _Mazel_ \- No wait, that's not it."

Newt couldn't help the grin. Since they got married his father had always been trying his best to take his daughter-in-law's Jewish customs into consideration as well... but he did not always succeed at first try. Tina (and Queenie too) appreciated that he _did_ at least try though.

"' _In a guter sho'_ ," Queenie answered he older man's unvoiced question with a smile. "But they won't mind you simply congratulating them either, Perseus."

"No no no. _In a guter sho,_ to you. The congratulations are left for when the child is born, right?"

Tina nodded. "Yeah, they usually are. And thank you, Perseus." Both of them still accepted the offered handshake though. 

"Well, I do wish you two to all the best too..." Theseus offered, finally letting go of his carefully maintained 'neutral' expression to give a genuine smile, "... again."

"Thank you, Thes." Newt nodded at his brother in thanks just as his mother perked up. "Again?" she questioned.

The brothers exchanged a glance before the older one dared to answer. "Yes, Mother... again. You see, Auror Scamander has officially been taken off active duty yesterday, and of course I was informed of such things. Which reminds me Tina, we'll talk about your new work duties on Tuesday." 

"Oh, have you finally decided what to do with my talents?" she chuckled after being released from Arabella's hug. 

Theseus nodded. "You'll find that out on Tuesday... no more fieldwork though, that much I can tell you." 

"Why would Tina continue to work at all?" his father wondered with a heavy frown, speaking to his older son rather than the woman in question. 

"Because I'm pregnant and not on my death bed," Tina replied, possible a little sharper than neccessary.

"But-"

"No 'but', Perseus. I will step down when it is neccessary,but for now I'll keep working at the Ministry if they have use for me."

Theseus nodded. "We do." 

His father gave the discussion up for a lost cause. "These modern women," he mumbled, shaking his head. "How do you deal with her, Newt?"

 _I usually don't_ , he thought. There was somply no point trying to reign in a force of nature. "Every creature has a weakness, Father," he answered instead and chuckled. Even Tina had a weakness for his wide, lopsided smile... and he used that knowledge more often than she probably realised.

Queenie giggled from her seat, causing Newt to look at her. _Don't you dare tell her, Mrs. Kowalski._

 

* * *

 

His father sat down next to him at the table and handed him a glass of Firewhiskey when the others had started on another merry bunny chase through the house.

"Quite the souvenir you brought home from South America," he commented with a smirk.

A laugh escaped him. "I don't know if souvenir would be the right word, Father. We're not going to forget that trip any time soon though, I'll say."

The older man nodded. "I'm happy for you, son. To be honest... I rather feared you wouldn't get that chance."

He glanced at his father quizzically. "And is that because I never showed much interest before I met Tina or because you thought I might simply not be _able_ to? It runs in the family after all..."

"Neither, Newt," his father replied in earnest. "Your Tina is quite the career girl and I hear only the best about her work through the Ministry chatter, but... that love for her occupation would always leave the chance that by the time she was ready to focus on family it might just be... too late, if you know what I mean." 

"No need to beat around the bush, Father," Newt said and took a sip fro mthe offered whiskey. "You thought she would be too old to have children by that time." That had never really been a concern of his. Tina was a career girl and loved her job, yes. But the work wasn't everything to her... far from it in fact. "It's been on both our minds for quite some time actually... Tina might be a career girl, but she's also always wanted a family."

They sat in silence for a while, listening to the sound of laughing children (and grown-ups) running along carpeted corridors. Newt smiled. In two or three years one of them would be his own child. 

"So, have you thought about what to do with your beasts yet?" Perseus asked curiously. 

Newt frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you can't keep maintaining that zoo of yours all by yourself, Newt... not with a proper job and a baby in the house." 

"And why not? I already manage a 'proper job' and my creatures quite well... I don't see how that will change once the child is born." 

His father smiled knowingly. "It will be harder than you think right now, managing all of it with the attention they deserve. Trust me, something will have to give at some point, and if you're not careful it will be you breaking from the strain."

Newt thought on his father's words for a moment. Having a child was no small undertaking he knew, but sure they could manage with Tina staying at home for at least the first few months... those were supposed to be the hardest ones, right?

"Even if I wanted to," he explained, "most of my beasts have nowhere safe to go. And a not too small part of my livelyhood depends on those creatures, I'm nowhere close to finished studying them, which is what I'm actually paid for."

His father sighed. "I'm not telling you what to do here, Newt. Just... think about yourself too, alright? There's only so much a man can do in one day."

Newt kept silent, downing the rest of his whiskey as he thought back to a promise he had made many years ago.

 

* * *

  

**Provence, June 1928**

"There you are," Newt announced himself as he approached his wife in the garden.

Tina turned around with a smile. "All done in the case already?"

"Yes... everyone's happy down there for now." He wrapped his arms around her middle, gently pulling her back against his chest in a loving embrace. "We've been wondering where you two had gone off to though."

Pickett chirped in confirmation, perching securely on top of his head now. The Bowtruckle had learned a long while ago that Newt's front pockets and even his shoulder were not the best places to be when Tina was around.

"You don't mind that I took Dougal up with me, do you?" Tina wondered, guilt colouring her voice. "He really wanted to go out, pulled me up the ladder and everything."

The Demiguise was a few steps away and still curiously examined his surroundings. Currently he was rubbing a bit of thyme between his paws before sniffing at it, just as Newt had seen Tina show him earlier. Newt smiled at the sight. "It's alright, love. Unlike some he's not prone to making a dash for it when given the chance. I wouldn't encourage taking any other creature out of the case though... particularly the Niffler."

Tina giggled in his arms and together they watched the furry white beast for a bit. Dougal hadn't been out of the suitcase in this part of the world yet... He knew parts of Britain of course, had quite the adventure in New York City a while back and had been there to say goodbye to the Occamies in the jungles of India. But the mediterranian landscape of Provence was definitely new to him.

"You know... it's a good thing there are not too many creatures living in your case right now," Tina said softly after a while. "Not that I mind your love for them but... ut would have been quite a different honeymoon if we had to spent the bigger part of our days in the suitcase taking care of them."

Newt grinned and nodded in agreement. "Yes, that would have been quite unfortunate. I so do love to spend time with my wife... alone." Tina giggled in response to his teasing tone. It was true what she had said though, and not just for their honeymoon. "Which is why I went on that journey to release some of them last year," he admitted.

"But that was long before any of this even happened, Newt. You couldn't possibly have known what the future held."

"No, I certainly did _not_ know," he laughed. "But I already had a mind to go and see you again when the book was published. And to spend time with you, get to know you better... court you if given the chance. We both know I would not have had much spare time for any of that with the menagerie I kept back then." Tina knew from own experience how long the minimum of care had taken already, having minded his creatures for him while he was out cold after that duel with Grindelwald. If he hadn't been under her spell already by then, _that_ would certainly have done the trick and made him fall for her.

His wife turned her head to look at him. "You really released your creatures so you could spend more time with me?"

"More or less," he nodded and smiled. "For most of them it was time to go back to their peers anyway, but you gave me a good incentive to actually go ahead and return them to the wild." Newt chuckled softly. "And to _not_ return with a whole bunch of new creatures, too."

"You're really not joking," she breathed in astonishment.

"I'm not," he agreed softly. "Some beasts had to go to make room for the most magical creature out there, you see."

Tina kept quiet for a while as they continued to watch the Demiguise explore the garden by himself. "I'm glad you took that chance with me," she finally said. "But... what if that most magical creature hadn't returned your sentiments? The journey would have been for nothing then."

"Hm, there's a lot still to explore out there, my love," he spoke cryptically. It wasn't a thought he had liked to entertain often, but it had been there from time to time... Tina rejecting his tentative advances would have cut his time in New York quite a bit shorter he imagined and he would likely have returned to doing what he had before: gallivanting around the remotest places of the world with a suitcase full of creatures. Trying to forget about the one he couldn't lure in. 

"I'd have left you be and gone to find some new fascinating beast to occupy my mind... one of the non-human variety, mind." Newt tightened his arms around her and pressed a kiss to the crook of her neck. "I'm glad it didn't come to that though."

She hummed in agreement and leaned further into him. "So am I..."

"Tina. We both know there will be more travels for me in the future and with them new beasts in my suitcase. My livelihood in part depends on those things and even if it didn't I wouldn't want to change what I do. But... I want to make you a promise," he declared softly. She focussed her gaze on him and listened. "I will make sure that the number of creatures in my care will never grow again to a point where maintaining them takes up all my time. I won't let that happen again."

A smile tugged at her lovely lips. "Thank you Newt."

"I wasn't actually finished yet," he grinned. "I will also always have time for _you_ , Tina. No matter when, or where, or how long... you'll always have my full attention whenever you ask for it." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I'm not going to neglect you the way I neglected myself at times." 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something that might need a bit of explanation: the exchange between Perseus, Queenie and Tina.  
> I did quite some research on this and apparently it is (or was) not done among Jewish people to offer congratulations (or _Mazel tov_ ) when anouncing a pregnancy. Simply because there was nothing that warranted congratulations yet... To [quote](http://www.chabad.org/theJewishWoman/article_cdo/aid/537403/jewish/Do-You-Wish-Mazal-Tov-to-a-Pregnant-Woman.htm): "Conceiving a child is like conceiving an idea. A new idea is very exciting, but until it has been brought into the concrete world and actualized, it is too early to celebrate. So too with pregnancy." 
> 
> And I absolutely did not write "Newt to Share" for the chapter title at first... no-uh. Next chapter we will see a little time jump and finally get a bit more plot too...


	4. Part 1: A New Arrival

Early on a Sunday morning Tina was woken up by the scratching and flapping of a familiar tiny owl at her bedroom window, carrying a short note in Jacob's hand. She sprung into action immediately and flooed to Godric's Hollow barely 10 minutes later, leaving the note on the kitchen table for Newt to find.

Her husband was in Scotland for the weekend, at Hogwarts to be precise, to give a number of special lectures about magical creatures and showing some of the less common beasts in his care to the sixth years taking the elective course. Naturally his former teacher turned friend Albus Dumbledore had invited him to stay for the entire weekend, to discuss some changes to the curriculum for Care of Magical Creatures and catch up on just about anything else that had been going on. He wouldn't be back until some time later today she knew.

The Kowalski flat was relatively quiet when she arrived in a cloud of green flame and soot. It was dark too but for a flickering light coming from the direction of the kitchen. There she found her brother-in-law standing in front of the stove with a cup of coffee in hand.

"Mornin', Tina," he greeted her tiredly. He looked rather wrinkled and quite worse for wear with hair standing up in all angles from his head.

"Morning, Jacob. You look like you've just fallen out of bed."

He shrugged and frowned. "I kinda did, you know? Queenie woke me about an hour ago, telling me to go and send the notes to everyone. She's been restless all day yesterday, but it's grown worse halfway through the night. " 

Tina nodded. "How is she?"

"Asleep when I checked about 10 minutes ago. From what I gathered it's still early on in the procedings." He took another drink from his cup. "I'm gonna go downstairs now and start up the bakery... Jimmy's gotta take care of things today though."

Tina hummed in agreement. "Okay, you go start work and I'll keep watch up here until the midwife comes."

Jacob nodded in thanks. "'kay. Let me know if something happens." 

"Don't worry," she tried to sooth the visibly stressed looking man. "She's gonna be fine, Jacob."

"I know, I know. It's just... I can't stand seeing her in pain... and that last contraction looked pretty painful already."

She chuckled. "Which is why you and Sammy are going to come with me back to Dorset when you're all set up downstairs. When's Jimmy coming in?"

Her brother-in-law threw a look at the clock in the kitchen. It was barely past 5:30 am. "About half an hour at most...we don't open as early as usual Sundays."

Jacob Kowalski quickly retreated into his bakery with a thankful smile as Tina went to check on her sister. She lay in bed, though not asleep as Jacob had claimed.

"Hey Queenie, how's it going?" she asked, carefully sitting down at her side.

The blonde chuckled. "Right now I'm all good... ask me when the next contraction comes." She sat up a little. "Jacob's gone down to work?"

"Yeah, he's downstairs. Sent the notes off just as you asked him."

"Good. Let's see how long this one will take to arrive. I don't want to burden you too long with my men."

Tina smiled. "It's alright, sis. They can stay as long as they need to."

Their respective tasks for this day had been discussed at length. The midwife had already told her the first time around that a delivery was no place for an untrained woman that hadn't been through the pains herself. So her job today was to keep Jacob and Sammy occupied and out of the house for as long as neccessary while her sister was in the competent care and company of a midwife and her friend Arabella.

Unlike the birth of her son, Queenie had not even suggested Jacob stay with her this time... hearing his pained thoughts on his beloved wife going through the labours of childbirth had not been helpful at all to her then. And neither had the jokes and overly chipper attitude he had donned to mask it. Before long Queenie Kowalski had threatened to hex and curse her husband if he didn't leave the room to let her give birth in peace.

Both Tina and her sister chuckled at the shared memory. "He's doing his best right now not to think back on that day," she explained. "He's not doing the best of jobs about it though."

"I can imagine... You want me to go and get Sammy? Let him spend a little time with his momma before he's whisked away to Uncle Newt's place... without either creatures to pet nor his uncle to pester."

"Newt's's still at Hogwarts?"

Tina nodded. "Don't worry, I'll manage." 

Queenie smiled. "I know. Then go and get him please... he might be less of a handful for you when he's still tired." So Tina went to wake her nephew. 

Mrs. Hopkins, her sister's midwife, arrived little more than an hour after Tina had. Queenie had gone through two more contractions in that time and tried but failed to keep her son from noticing her pain.

"Mommy, you hurt!" Sammy exclaimed when he had seen her cringe the first time. It took a lot of smiling and soothing words to calm him down again. The second time he was thankfully distracted by the timely arrival of the midwife.

"Okay, we'll go now," Tina announced a little later and hugged her sister close. After many parting kisses from his mother she lifted Samuel up onto her hip to give her sister and her husband, just returned from the bakery, a bit of privacy. The sun was already up when they headed back to Fishpond Bottom to start the hopefully not too long wait for a happy message.

 

* * *

Queenie Kowalski gave birth to a little baby girl on the 14th of May... Mother's Day.

The child had been safely delivered by mid-afternoon and after Arabella had popped in to tell them the news the three of them returned to Godric's Hollow to welcome the new arrival to their family.

* * *

 

Exhausted Tina retreated into the Kowalski's kitchen for a much needed cup of coffee. Mrs Hopkins had gone for now, mother and child looking perfectly healthy, and she had decided to give the little family some time alone to get to know their newest member. A sweet baby girl, barely two hours in this world. She sank down at the kitchen table, hands wrapped around the mug of steaming dark liquid. That was where Newt found her a little later upon his return from Scotland.

"Tina!" Taking in the overall calm and happy atmosphere of the flat he greeted her with a warm smile and a kiss as he sat on a chair next to her. "All went well, I assume?"

Tina nodded and leaned into his embrace. "It's a girl, Ruth Kowalski. They're just getting to know each other back there."

"Queenie named her after your mother," he stated in surprise.

"Yes." Tina smiled. "Don't worry, we agreed on that ages ago. She gets to name a daughter after our mother while I get to name a son after our father."

An easy agreement to have come to when Queenie approached her with the question expecting her first child. It was a fact that, while their parents had still been alive, Tina had been a daddy's girl while Queenie had been more attached to their mother.

Newt returned her smile after a moment of thought. "Nathanael... I like it."

Tina chuckled. "Good, because I'll insist on it. Any family members you feel the need to honour?"

"Not particularly," he admitted. "I'd actually like to break that odd family habit of finding names somewhere in greek mythology." He chuckled. "I don't know what my parents thought in naming me after the _goddess_ of the hunt. You have no idea what hell that put me through in school..."

Tina shifted her head and raised an eyebrow. "Really, Newt? You're talking to someone named _Porpentina_ here."

"Right, sorry..." He grinned before dropping a soft kiss to her lips. "My sweet little porcupine."

Tina didn't glare at him... this time. She was frankly too tired, having been up since before dawn keeping an eye on a worried baker and a rambunctious three-year-old. And being pregnant in the early stages herself didn't make the job any easier on her....

"The irony is... I'm really not much of a hunter," Newt continued his earlier musings, "at least not in the traditional sense. Though I guess the part with the wild animals and wilderness somewhat fits me." 

She rolled her eyes affectionately. "Of couse you know your greek mythology with that posh upbringing."

Newt snorted and shook his head. "I assure you, most other wizarding families of our standing don't bother too much. But the name Scamander is actually greek in origin, so my parents insisted we know a thing or two."

She hummed in acknowledgement, enjoying the rumble of his chest against her ear as he spoke. "Your brother didn't decide on a greek-ish name for your niece though."

He held her a little closer. "No, Theseus rebelled and went with the Romans instead. Flora is a goddess of flowers, nature and _fertility_ of all things." He paused for a moment and chuckled. "Elaine on the other hand is a form of Helena, which again is-"

"Greek?" Tina guessed.

"Exactly. So he's not that much of a rebel after all." 

Only... he kind of was, she knew. Tina moved to sit upright again, feeling dangerously close to drifting off to sleep leaning so comfortably against her husband. It was probably that tired state of mind that caused her to tread in dangerous territory. "She's got her father's eyes, you know... Flora, I mean."

Newt frowned at her. "Thes doesn't have brown eyes, love."

"No," She shook her head. "But we both know who does." _In for a penny..._

He sighed and shrugged. "You know had an image to uphold... and at least it's a somewhat fitting match, wouldn't you say? So as long as there was consent between all three of them, who are we to judge. She is Theseus' child by any other definition." 

Tina chuckled. So it _was_ an open secret in the family then. "They've been so much happier since they had her."

"Yes, they are," Newt nodded. "Another reason to keep silent about what we think and know."

"Right you are," she admitted and snuggled back against him.

Just then a door at the back of the flat opened and a pair of little feet scuttled down the hallway towards them. "Uncle Newt! Come see the baby!"

With a sigh and a grin they got up and followed their visibly excited nephew. Whether he was happy to be a big brother now or just excited to finally see his favourite uncle Tina couldn't say though. Inside the bedroom Queenie now sat propped up in bed, ready for her first visitors. She looked exhausted but happy with a little pink bundle in her arms and a teary-eyed Jacob next to her.

"Hey Newt," he greeted him, "welcome back... and just in time."

Her husband chuckled. "Oh no, if anyone here deserves a welcome it's your little girl. Mazel tov!"

"Aren't you sweet," Queenie smiled as Sammy climbed back up into his father's lap to coo over the baby in his mother's arms. "Thanks Newt."

"How are you, sis?" Tina asked once again. To her eyes she looked ready to drop into an exhausted sleep at any moment.

"Don't worry 'bout me, Teenie. I'm peachy." Tina frowned for a moment. "Tired, yeah... but too exited to go sleepin' right now. You'll understand when you've been through it yourself." She smiled. "Actually... you wanna hold her for a moment?"

"Oh, sure." Carefully Tina took the small bundle from her sister, mindful to support the small head properly, and cradled her newborn niece in her arms. Ruth was almost asleep, exhausted too after the exertions of being brought into this world. She looked like a little angel, pink-faced and a little on the chubby side. A beautiful little girl. 

"Yes, she is," Queenie agreed softly, following her every movement attentively. 

"Hey. Hello Ruth," she whispered. "I'm your Auntie Tina."

Newt had come to stand behind her now, one had placed on her waist as he looked over her shoulder. She saw his face lit up in a brilliant smile as stared at the newborn in her arms.

"And I'm your Uncle Newt," he spoke softly. "Aren't you all new and wonderful..."

 

* * *

 

They returned back to their cottage later that evening, leaving the Kowalski family to themselves. Everyone was rather exhausted... Queenie from labour, Tina from keeping an eye on her nephew, Jacob from worrying all day long and the baby had fallen asleep in Tina's arms already. And now, after two days of seperation, Newt wanted nothing more than to finally hold Tina in his arms for a while. They collapsed onto the couch in their living room, Newt welcoming the brunette into his open arms for a long awaited cuddle in private.

"How was Hogwarts?" she asked tiredly.

"Oh, you know... the usual. Dumbledore sends his compliments. I don't know how, but he already knew we are expecting."

Tina chuckled. "Are you sure he doesn't have The Eye?"

He shrugged. "At this point I'll say it's quite possible. It would explain a lot to be honest." He began gently stroking a hand up and down her back. "How are you feeling, love?"

"Exhausted," she groaned. "Exhilarated, too. And still a little queasy from flooing."

"Want me to make you some ginger tea for that?" he offered. Anything to see her suffer a little less, but Tina only grimaced.

"No, I've had enough of that stuff for today. I just wanna lie in your arms for a bit... I missed you."

"I missed you too, my love." He wrapped his arms firmer around her and moved to kiss her forehead. "Sorry I left you alone with all of this today... How long have you been up?"

Tina thought for a moment. "Since 5 a.m. I think? It was still dark out when the owl came. And you couldn't possibly have known."

"Well, I'm glad everything went well anyway."

Tina hummed in agreement and snuggled deeper into him. "I had a talk with Queenie's midwife by the way... she's agreed to take me on, too. So that's taken care of at least."

Newt frowned. "Oh?"

"You heard what the witch at St. Mungo's said," Tina explained. "It's better to find one early on, so you have someone to refer to for questions and she knows you and any problems you had when it's time for the delivery."

Yes, he had heard that. "That's... _quite_ early on though," he replied with a chuckle, "you're barely showing yet, love."

Tina smiled. "She's got another expecting mother in her care, due date a little before mine she said. So... I'm not the only early bird out there, darling."

"Alright, alright," he conceded. "As long as you're happy with her... We'll see a lot of that woman I assume?"

She nodded. "I will at least, but you don't have to. And I like her, she's the calmest and most reassuring person I've known... outwardly and in her mind. It's why Queenie chose her for both Samuel and Ruth."

Newt had never actually met the midwife but she had obviously done her job properly. Mother and child had looked quite well when they had left earlier.

"You looked beautiful holding her, you know," he whispered with a smile. His heart had almost burst from love when he had seen Tina with that tiny bundle in her arms... He hadn't been able to stop that image in a secret corner of his mind where just for a moment it had been their own newborn in her arms instead of her niece. 

"It felt good too to be honest," she mumbled and smiled against him. "If we weren't expecting already... I think tonight might have been the day we'd have started trying."

He chuckled and dropped a kiss to the top of her head as her eyes fell shut. "You're much too tired to try anything tonight, love. Rest." She might just be right though... if things were different he probably wouldn't have been able to keep silent about his desire for a family anymore, not after seeing his wife cooing so sweetly over a baby in her arms. 

It didn't take long until her breath evened out and Tina had fallen asleep. Newt let her rest there for a while, happy for the close contact it brought. He really had missed her. It wasn't very often that they'd spend nights apart from one another... Tina's undercover work as an Auror rarely had gone that far, and when Newt travelled nowadays it was usually either in her company or just an engagement for the day. A soft little snore reached his ears and he couldn't help a grin.

"Tina?"

She stirred a little, mumbling ununintelligable, but didn't wake. She was deeply asleep indeed. And no wonder... keeping their nephew in check was a taxing task on a normal day, even with Jacob or himself around. But today their brother-in-law had been worried and stress-baking in the kitchen going by the amount of pastries and bread he had seen left in the pantry earlier, so that task had fallen to Tina alone it seemed. And lately his wife was getting exhausted by walking up a single flight of stairs...

Newt sighed and with an indulgent smile placed an arm around her back, another underneath her knees and carefully carried her up the stairs into their bedroom where she could get a full night of good rest. She barely stirred when he used his wand to transfigure blouse and trousers into comfortable pyjamas and drew the blanket over her sleeping form. The kiss to her forehead got a little sigh in response.

"Sleep well, love." One creature down for the night, only a whole suitcase more to go. 

Newt returned downstairs and into his workroom where he quickly descended into the case. Inside the shed he took off his tweed jacket, rolled up his sleeves and went to work feeding his creatures for the night. The new group of Mooncalves had settled in nicely by now, all injuries healed and appetite regained. They gently butted him with their heads in demand for more pellets. Newt chuckled and threw in some extra.

The Savannah space formerly inhabited by a pair of Erumpents had been remodelled slightly and was now home to a small group of Tebos the Ministry had stumbled upon in a raid. They still didn't trust him enough to not turn invisible the moment he took a wrong step among the plants and made a noise. All in good time, though. It had only been a month after all. 

The Diricawls roaming his case had multiplied again, leaving an even bigger group of fledgelings popping in and out of existence in front of his feet. He threw them a handful of grains and went on to where Fwooper waited patiently on her perch for Newt to recast the Silencing Charm. The old girl was more than used to it by now and silently trilled when he petted and fed her afterwards. 

In their cave the Runespoors slithered about peacefully after the excitement of the weekend. Newt made sure not to step too close to the nest of freshly produced eggs as he inspected the youngest of the brood. "Behave and the cone will come off," he explained once again only to be hissed at in reply. All looked well though as the minor bite wounds were healing. Same procedure as every year... 

 

After every beast had been taken care of Newt sat down on the steps leading back inside the shed and let himself bask in his own magical world for a few moments. He still had to go through his supplies for the multiple cures and remedies his creatures needed, take notes on what needed to be restocked. It was a time-consuming and tiring task, but demanded his attention anyways even if there wouldn't be any more travels in the near future. The trip to North America that he had tentatively planned for the summer definitely wouldn't be happening, not with Tina pregnant. It was far too dangerous for her and the baby. Which led to another question entirely...

Would she even want to continue travelling with him after their child was born? She might prefer to stay home with the little one instead of following him around into whatever remote area he had chosen, leaving him to fend for himself once more or (even worse) in the company of some other Auror Escort with no love or interest for his creatures or the work he did. But would he even want to go on travelling after their child was born? Being parted from his family seemed just as terrible to him as taking them with him into the potentially dangerous situations he often found himself in. He frowned. Neither really was a favourable option. 

_Maybe I really should stay home indefinitely..._ at least until the child started school? Longer travels together would be easier to manage then, and neither would have to miss out on seeing their son or daughter grow up more than they already would. And he didn't want to leave raising their child to Tina alone either. He wanted to be there for them, not just a figure on the sidelines vanishing for weeks on end for 'studies' and returning with a hug and a present. Or someone who was gone all day and stayed lost in his work even at home as his own father had so often been. And Tina... she might want to go back to Auror duties herself at some point.

Newt sighed. So many questions to answer. So many decisions to make. There was still time though. 

He wasn't even sure if he would be a good father come to think of it... though that thought usually was pushed back to the farthest corner of his mind. A question to ponder on a different day. 

Tonight he had something else on his mind. In three weeks they would celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary and if Tina was amenable he would like to take her away for the weekend to go somewhere for the sake of vacation instead of work for a change. Just the two of them alone before they would become a family. But where to go? Provence came to his mind immediately, but Portkeys shouldn't be used by pregnant women. _So somewhere interesting that Tina hasn't been to yet_ , he mused. Somewhere they could floo to, too.

The question occupied his mind for the rest of the evening... so much that he didn't even notice Pickett leaving tiny inky footprints all over his finished lists in boredom. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Chapter 5 will be up Thursday next and a little warning up front: the first half of that chapter will contain _Mature Content._ Don't worry though, those of you who favour T-rated stories can leave that part out and jump straight down to the second half, you won't miss much storywise.


	5. Part 1: Celebrations and Concerns (Mature)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains mature content somewhere in the middle. The section is clearly marked and can be left out of reading without loosing anything important to this story.

Three weeks later found Newt and Tina celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary. It was the third of June, a Saturday, and with Tina having the weekend off from her new position within the Auror Offices Newt had proposed to spend the weekend away from home.

They left Dorset on Friday evening and used the Floo Network to go to a little wizarding pub in Portree on the Isle of Skye. He had arranged for rooms there to spend the weekend... A little get-away to the wild beauty of Scotland. She hadn't been in these parts before.

Tina was three months into her pregnancy by now and it started to show. So far it was still easily concealed by the kind of loose blouses she preferred to wear though and only for her husband to actually see. Whenever they were alone with each other these days Newt's hands immediately started drifting down to her stomach where his knowing hands could easily find and feel the small hidden bump.

The inn was a wizarding establishment, mostly frequented by Quidditch fans come to see the game of the Pride of Portree. The team was playing elsewhere on this early June weekend though, so they seemed to be the only guests there. The taproom downstairs was decorated with many paintings, pictures and knickknacks sporting the team colours of purple and gold... their room thankfully was not. It was a cozy little place not unlike home.

That night, after they had taken care of their menagerie in the suitcase, Tina stood in front of the mirrored wardrobe of their room, trying to untangle her hair from the braids Dougal he tried to put it in. Newt came up behind her and pulled her into an embrace, one of his strong hands resting over her growing curve as he watched their reflections in the glass.

Tina huffed, annoyed with the way her hair refused to be straightened. It would have to be magic after all.

"Does it bother you?" Newt asked softly, stroking his thumb over the disguising fabric of her pyjama top. "The touching I mean."

Tina leaned back against his chest, chuckling softly. "No, I'm annoyed with what Dougal did to my hair just now. But this-" She rested a hand over his. "- it's sweet and a little amusing to be honest. Every chance you get..."

Newt smiled over her shoulder. "I just like to feel that this is actually real... because sometimes it just seems too good to be true, you know? You, me and a child on the way..."

"What, my morning sickness isn't real enough for you yet?" she quipped.

He chuckled into her shoulder before dropping a kiss to the side of her neck. "I mean positive affirmation, love. I wouldn't call the nausea positive... and I hope for your sake that will stop soon."

She hummed in agreement. "It's gotten a little better lately... and so has the fatigue, thankfully. According to Queenie and Arabella it should stop soon, once I'm into the fourth month."

"So any time now then." He threw a crooked grin at her through the mirror. "Since it's been three months almost to the day since it happened."

 

* * *

Here starts the smut ;)

* * *

When they woke the next morning the weather on the Isle of Skye did not show itself from its best possible side. It was foggy and damp and altogether not very inviting to leave the house at all.Still, they got dressed appropriately and went down for breakfast before leaving the warm and dry pub to venture outside. At least she didn't feel the slightest queasiness this morning, so it might promise to be a good day after all.

Since the view wasn't the best today, they took a walk through the town of Portree with its small houses and even smaller streets, then strolled along the shore for a while with it's rough pebbly sea beaches. But early in the afternoon a persistent rain set in and so they quickly returned back to their lodgings. Not that they weren't used to trudging through all weathers in whatever isolated part of the world Newt had chosen to explore, but neither felt a need for that on their wedding anniversary. Not when it could be spent in so much more... pleasurable ways.

"After you, Mrs. Scamander," Newt offered and held the small wooden door open for her. His eyes held a certain glint she knew too well... a glint she lately had even started to dream about, truth be told. And Tina wholeheartedly approved of the activities he seemed to have in mind.

She entered their room with smirk. "My my, so attentive today."

Her husband followed with a chuckle and locked the door behind them before charming their room to keep any noises from escaping their four walls. If she hadn't been sure of his intentions before she definitely would have had all the clues now.

Both Newt and herself were rather private people when it came to intimacy. Open with each other, but neither enjoyed the thought of anyone listening in on them or watching, so whenever they were not in the privacy of their own home certain precautions where taken.

Newt closed the distance between them and loosely wrapped his arms around her waist. "Aren't I always attentive to you?" he asked, eyes slightly crinkled with mirth.

Tina chuckled. "Hm... most of the time," she teased him.

He raised his eyebrow in a questioning manner before shaking his head with a grin. His eyes didn't leave her though. Tina returned his gaze, eyes asking and answering unspoken questions between them before Newt leaned in and finally kissed her.

Somewhere inbetween kisses and caresses hands slowly unhooked buttons, pulled at hems, pushed at fabric in order to remove their clothes. A ritual they were well accustomed to by now, yet thrilling all the same.

Once left in nothing but her underwear Tina slid from his arms and took a few steps back. Green eyes watched her intently as she coyly pushed the thin straps of her step-ins from her shoulders, causing the garment to slide down her body until it landed in a heap at her feet. Bare hips swaying she sashayed back towards the bed and settled down right in the middle of it, propped against a few pillows and with her best interpretation of a 'come hither' look. A crooked finger begged him to come closer.

Newt licked his lips before eagerly following her invitation. He kneeled at the foot end of the bed and admired her for a few moments. For a some weeks now her breasts had started to grow along with her belly, leaving them a little fuller and heavier than they usually were. It was one of the most notable changes so far and Newt loved it... he loved it very much. And so Tina loved it too.

"So lovely," he murmured huskily as his eyes roamed over her naked curves. "What can I do for you today, love?"

"Your best," she answered, "to all of me..."

The suggestion was met with a hum of approval. Her Newt had a very strong need to touch and taste and feel (always had and probably always would have) and it left Tina a very happy woman. It didn't usually happen on a daily basis of course, but several times a week if they felt like it... long, loving encounters with a maximum of touch and body contact, and multiple climaxes for her along the way.

And apparently Newt wanted to be even more thorough than usual with her tonight...

He began kissing his way up her body, starting with her ankles and moving up her calfs and thighs. The touch of his lips grew softer and more lingering the higher he went. He didn't exactly move past her hips though... instead stopping to focus his attentions on an area she _very_ much enjoyed having kissed. He left her breathless and satisfied before working his way further up, across her curved stomach and her breasts... He still tasted of her when their lips finally met again a while later, after had had turned her breathless for a second time. He was so good to her.

His head dropped back against the mounted pillows with a deep groan when Tina finally had a chance to get her hands on him as well. She lay curled against his side, one of his arms curved around her back to clutch her hip as her hand covered silky velvet and stroked leisurely. Their eyes met when she looked up from his freckled body, dark brown meeting a deep glinting green. His free hand moved to cup her cheek and Newt pulled her in for a kiss. It was warm and tender and almost as innocent as the first one had been.

"I love you,Tina," he sighed when their lips parted again.

"I love you too." Tina smiled at him. "Let me show you?"

Newt nodded and soon after Tina moved to straddle his thighs, catching his lips in another slow and consuming kiss.

Their union was unhurried and intense. Everything felt a little different now due to her changing body... her breasts and darkened nipples were much more sensitive to his touch, as was her skin and she was so much more easily aroused lately, soaked just at the thought of having him. The feeling of his length inside her had her purring in his lap.

Newt enjoyed having her on top on him, loved it really. He admired her from below with hooded eyes, watched her full breasts bounce lightly with her rhythmic movements, touched and kissed her once he had looked his fill. In the end his hands always drifted down to her hips and behind, feeling her, guiding her through her pleasures when they came. And as so often he let her take whatever she needed for as long as he could give before submitting to his own needs.

"We should switch," Tina proposed softly when the tightening in his features and a growing tension in his body announced that he wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer. Time to give him what _he_ needed.

"Yes," he breathed and nodded. "Yes, let's do that."

Newt helped her move onto her back, propping a pillow under her for comfort and a better angle before sinking back into her with a groan. He was very careful not to put his weight onto her stomach as he held himself over her, forgoing the full body contact he usually sought since her condition was noticeable. It didn't stop him from enjoying it though.

He grew more vocal now as his need slowly took over, gasped her name when her nails tug into the small of his back, increased the pace of his movements as their bodies began to tense.

Her first flutterings of a climax were his final undoing and Newt gave a strangled moan as release surged through his shuddering body... taking her with him over the edge one more time.

Newt looked just as sated as she herself felt in the aftermath, lying next to her with a grin on his face as she still tried to catch her breath. He was _so_ good to her.

"Happy anniversary," he chuckled into her shoulder, and for a brief moment she wondered if that thought had been spoken aloud. Probably not.

"Hmm... Happy anniversary, darling."

Their hands weaved together in the small space between them, holding each other gently. This was the time for tenderness and soft words, sweet nothings whispered between them until they either succumbed to sleep or felt the urge for more. And such was their wedding anniversary spent... locked away inside a cozy room, revisiting and repeating all they had learned about each other since their journey together had started.

* * *

Here ends the smut ;)

* * *

 

 

Sunday dawned bright and clear over the Isle of Skye, still offering them a final chance to explore the wild beauty of the island before they had to leave. They returned to work the following day with twin smiles on their faces.

 

* * *

 

It was a lovely summer night, warmth still lingering in earth and air from the heat of the day. The month of July had brought with it the dry heat of summer. Newt and Tina had chosen to have a late dinner outside in the garden, a blanket beneath the apple tree looking over the wide expanse of rolling hills surrounding their home. The sun had set a while ago now, replacing the light blue of the cloudless summer sky first with orange and gold and rose, then with an ever darkening grey.

Newt was sitting leaned against the stem of the old tree, Tina settled comfortably between his spread legs and cuddled against his chest. She would need his help getting up again later, but right now he had his arms loosely wrapped around her and held her close as they let the slowly cooling breeze play around them. The first stars made an appearance in the dark above them.

It was quiet and peaceful here in the hidden countryside of Dorset, green and lush and homely. They had turned the untended garden into a useful piece of land again after they had moved in, with a vegetable patch behind the house, flowers surrounding the cottage and the low stone wall marking the end of the yard. The apple tree above their heads had been seen to and was greening and growing fruit again while the furthest corner of the property had become home to a not so small pumpkin patch. The land here was rich and fertile and they had learned how to make use of it... after a nest of pesky Gnomes had agreed to be relocated into a nearby forest.

"I don't even know how I managed to go so long without this," Tina mused, gaze wandering over the landscape that had been their home for the past five years now.

Newt chuckled. "Do you mean my company or the tranquility of a life in the country, love?"

"Hm... both. They complement each other quite nicely I think."

He hummed in agreement. Her company did complement quite a bit for him as well... his life, his work and his own shortcomings chief among them. Ever since they had started on this journey Newt had started to wonder himself how he had managed life without her. Thinking back... he probably hadn't.

"I'm really glad we moved here, darling," she told him, snuggling deeper back into his embrace. "The circumstances may not have been so perfect but... now that I know both I can say that I'd rather raise a child here than in New York."

A smile tugged at his lips, hearing her agree with his own sentiments. "Any special reasons for that change of heart?"

She didn't have to think long for her answer. "There's more space here... less restrictions... fewer consequences for accidental magic... and out here it feels safer, too."

It was. They lived more or less off the map here in Dorset, with only few people knowing the actual location of their home. The nearest village, Fishpond Bottom, was more than an hour's walk away from their cottage, its people never bothering them thanks to a number of Muggle Repelling Charms, never throwing more than a short glance in their direction while passing. Every now and again a flock of sheep would be herded across their lands, but all the shepherds saw was a ruined cottage in the distance, not even worth of consideration for a place to spend the night. Such were the precautions to keep wizarding dwellings out of sight, out of mind... out of harm's way.

Tina put her hand over her pregnant belly, stroking soothing circles over it. Newt joined in with tender touch, ever more fascinated by the not so small curve under his hand. He knew there was a darker line forming along the middle of her belly now, one of the many changes she had gone through in the past five months of her pregnancy with many more still to come. But at least she was feeling better now with fatigue and nausea gone, her strength and energy returned.

"I can feel them move, you know," she spoke softly into the night. "It started a little while ago."

Newt froze for a moment in astonishment, then shifted behind her and brought both hands to her stomach hoping to feel something of what Tina felt.

"Right now?" he inquired breathlessly.

Tina nodded. "It's just little flutters and shifts but... I think you might feel it too by now. Here."

She took one of his hands and moved to to the left side of her belly. And there, quite low and barely noticeable through the fabric of her dress he felt it too: first soft movements of their child.

"Tina," he breathed and pressed his hand a little firmer against her, waiting in hope for more. And soon he could feel it again, a little kick. Laughter bubbled up from deep inside him. "Did you feel that? That's... that's our baby, Tina!"

She chuckled softly and put her hand over his. "I know... Amazing, isn't it?"

Newt swallowed around a lump forming in his throat. Their little stranger was moving now... He couldn't help the happy tears leaking from the corner of his eye as there was another little flutter to be felt. He held her close for a long while, entirely absorbed by this new development.

" _Merlin's beard_ , this is... incredible," he breathed against her shoulder. " _You_ are incredible, Tina." Unable to properly articulate any of the emotions and thoughts inside his head, his words were followed by kisses. Soft kisses to her shoulder and up her neck, tracing along her jaw until she turned her head to meet him and their lips brushed against each other. They let touches and gestures, actions and reactions speak for a while.

 

It was only much later that Newt decided to finally share something that had haunted his mind for a while now. They lay together back to chest with his arm carefully wrapped around both Tina and the child growing inside her. Feeling those little kicks earlier suddenly made it so much more real, reminded him of decision still in need of making... Only four more months left until their life would be changed forever.

"Tina," he started slowly, caressing the skin beneath his hand, "do you think... maybe I should release some of the beasts before our little stranger here is born?"

"What brought that on, Newt?" she wondered, confusion clearly audible in her voice.

"It's just..." He sighed and rested his head against the curve of her neck. "Something my father mentioned a while back. I'm not sure if I could to tend to everything with the neccessary attention, you know. You and our child, the creatures, work at the ministry..."

"Did he say that?"

Newt made a noncommital noise. "I've been thinking too though. It would be good to have less of a workload with the creatures once the child is here. That will be a lot of work in itself..."

Tina carefully turned around to face him before answering. "A lot of work for _me_ , yes."

"No, love, for both of us." He cupped her cheek with a smile. "We're equals, remember? I have no intentions of leaving the childrearing to you alone just because you're the female. I want to be part of it too."

A smile appeared on her lips at his words. "That's... Thank you, darling. But I don't think it's gonna be neccessary to free some creatures... we'll be fine as it is."

Newt hummed as she nuzzled his hand. "I don't want _you_ to feel neglected though, Tina. I promised that I would never do that and I'm not sure if I could keep that promise once we're three. I obviously can't quit my paid work at the Ministry... not now and probably not for a long time to come. So the creatures are the only part where I can make time, and for that some would have to go."

She nodded in understanding. "But who would you set free, Newt? Those with us now were either born in captivity, still need to be studied or are too weak to be released yet."

He sighed. That had been the main reason he was still _thinking_ about it. "I don't know, love. I really don't."

Tina mustered him for a long moment before tracing a single finger along his jaw. "You shouldn't let your father get into your head like this. He's been less patronising to you since we got married but... sometimes he still does it."

"Does what?" he wondered and frowned. Her hand immediately came up to brush those lines away.

"Forget that you are a grown man of 35. Husband, scientist, a man with a career. Someone who can make his own decisions." She paused for a moment. "This wouldn't even _be_ on your mind if he hadn't put it there, otherwise you'd have talked to me about it sooner."

Newt remained silent. She did have a point... it really hadn't been on his mind at all until that day back in April when his father had brought it up. And it hadn't left his thoughts since.

Tina carefully brushed his floppy fringe from his face before she continued. "Besides... you're not alone in this, Newt, remember? I'm still there to help you with our creatures when the little one is here, just as you'll be there to help me with our little stranger, right? Sharing responsibilities."

He nodded. "Of course I'll be there but... what about time for _you_? That's my concern, love."

Tina chuckled. "Darling... even with your help and less creatures around there's not gonna be much of that, not with a baby around. So please stop worrying, okay?"

Newt shifted to rest their foreheads together. "Alright, I'll try. I just... don't want to loose what we have, this... connection between us." _You and the bond that pulled us closer and closer right from the start._

Gentle fingers weaved into his messy hair, stroking him gently. "I don't think that will happen, Newt. Five years of daily life and work haven't spoiled it yet... so if anything, raising a child together will only strengthen it."

He nodded against her, hoping imploringly that she would be right.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for just dumping this here, I did not have the strength or will for a last read-through after the shitty night I just had. Still, you deserve to get the next chapter.  
> Any and all misspellings and grammar mistakes are yours to keep.


	6. Part 1: Delights and Discomforts

It was a Sunday in early August and the Kowalski family was visiting again for tea and dinner. Much to Samuel's delight they spent the better part of the afternoon in the suitcase where their nephew could play with the Mooncalves, try to catch one of the Diricawls and help his uncle feed the less dangerous creatures in their care. As usual the boy had a blast, just as much as his father had.

With the men occupied like this it left Tina some time alone with her sister and niece. Little Ruth was deeply asleep in her basket as they were seated at the edge of the former Hippogriff meadow, Queenie surrounded by a number of Puffskeins as Tina had Dougal by her side. As usual the Demiguise was cooing at both babies, born and unborn. And as so often lately they spent their time alone comparing notes on their pregnancies.

"It's like our honeymoon all over," Tina stated with an amused frown. "Actually better even, now that he fully _knows_ what he's doing."

The blonde giggled. "It's absolutely normal. Trust me, same happened with Jacob... both times. It's not just us that's affected by the changes, I guess."

"Yeah, but I don't get why. I mean, I'm the size of an Erumpent compared to before and not nearly as... you know, flexible as I used to be with the belly and all. And yet, he's all over me."

Queenie frowned. "Honey, have you looked into a mirror lately?"

That she had. She had gained quite a bit of weight and not just with her growing belly, certain parts of her skin had darkened considerably in the past months, not to mention the first stretch marks forming low on her skin. Some days she found herself positively hideous to look at truth be told.

"That's not what he sees though," her sister interjected her thoughts and looked her up and down. "Your hair is fuller and shinier, your skin is more glowing than ever. Your body has grown nice and attractive curves in all the right places... and you've practically been radiant from the inside for weeks now. Not to mention that your husband is already madly in love with you on any given normal day. Of course he's all over you now that you're in the golden days of pregnancy." She leaned a little closer. "And let me tell you: enjoy it while you can because a few weeks from now you probably won't have the strength for more than a cuddle while you try and fail to fall asleep."

Tina shook her head and grinned. "Then I guess I will. Can't say I'm not actually feeling the same about him to be honest."

They both erupted in a fit giggles like teenaged school girls. Queenie looked out over the number habitats down here in the suitcase, following her son with her mind and eyes for a few moments. "Newt has stopped his brooding, I noticed. Did you finally talk about it?" 

"About what?" Tina frowned. There had been so many things they had talked about lately... it was hard to know what her sister was alluding to.

"You tell me," she replied. "He's over the moon about becoming a father but his mind was also a right mess of brooding thoughts and concern these past months. All I got clearly was something about his creatures and fear of loosing you."

Tina sighed. They had talked about that, yes. Twice actually, since some days later Newt felt the need to make sure she really was okay with him keeping all his beasts for now. Other concerns had followed then and were put out in the open to discuss between them. That had been a very long but relieving day for both of them. "We did, yeah. That and just about anything else on our minds I think." 

"Good. I know he usually keeps things in his head until he knows when and how to approach it, but with this... there's only so much time to figure things out, you know?"

She couldn't help a chuckle. "Three months and counting, I know. But we had it all out now, talked for the better part of a day." She paused for a moment while watching Newt play with their nephew. He was carrying Samuel on his shoulders right now, running in circles and laughing. He would be a good father, she knew. They would both try their best.

Her sister smiled and put and arm around her. "You'll both do fine, Teenie."

"He said he's gonna stay put for now," she divulged. "Newt doesn't want to go out in the fields again until our little stranger is old enough to come with us... since I'm not gonna let him travel alone if I can help it." She smiled and put her arms around her protruding belly. "He doesn't want to miss his child growing up either."

"Of course he doesn't! You'll see, once the little one is actually here he'll have trouble even just leaving the day for work." She paused for a short moment. "And something tells me so will you when you think about rejoining the Aurors."

Tina only shrugged. "I haven't thought that far yet, Queenie. For now I'll keep working until it gets too straining to keep going and then take at least the year off after birth. Anything after that is still up to discussion." Privately she had a feeling though that her sister would be right. Or maybe she wasn't... 

Just then her niece began to wake from her peaceful slumber as Dougal tried to tell Queenie by pulling at the sleeve of her dress. She had known it already though, sensing the little mind stirring back to consciousness.

"I know, honey," she told the Demiguise with a smile and picked her daughter up in her arms. Ruth was barely three months old now but she had grown rapidly in that time. Gone was the tiny pink bundle she had held in her arms, replaced with a smiling and already cooing infant.

"You're gonna be hungry, aren't you sweetie?" she asked the child just mere moments before the first cry was uttered from surprisingly powerful lungs.

Tina marvelled at how easily Queenie could pinpoint her daughter's needs and couldn't help but wonder how she herself would fare with it. She didn't have Legilimency at hand after all.

"You'll learn to read them, Teen," her sister encouraged her as she began nursing the baby right there. "I can't _read_ Ruth either, her thoughts are not yet clear enough. But there's little tells you learn to spot... and at this age it's mostly either hungry, sleepy or nappy." She looked up and giggled. "I think I just made your Newt blush, Teenie. You might wanna go and check on him."

 

During the month of August Tina had become even bigger in size, the child growing underneath her heart now being clearly visible for all who laid eyes on her. She was well into her 6th month of pregnancy and looked more beautiful than ever to his eyes. She was positively radiant. And Newt had a hard time keeping his hands off her most days... a feeling that seemed to be entirely mutual.

Tina celebrated her birthday on the 19th and the day had been spent much like their wedding anniversary at her explicit request. Just the two of them, locked away from the world and entirely lost in each other. Who was Newt Scamander to deny his wife a birthday wish such as that? This time they agreed to stay in the comfort of their own home though instead of going somewhere else. But he made sure she felt like being on vacation anyway by bringing her breakfast in bed and overall catering to her every wish and whim. Newt did all he could to see the love of his life and soon-to-be mother of his child happy. 

By the end of the month they had also started to turn one of the spare rooms in their house into a nursery. Tina had wanted to wait with it until the child was actually born, much for the same reason she didn't like to hear congratulations on having a baby: tempting fate. But the weekend after her birthday his parents had shown up at their cottage, bringing with them a box full of baby essentials and (shrunken) nursery furniture...

"You really should prepare beforehand," his mother had argued . "There won't be much time or energy for it after the little one is here, you know?"

Tina then had taken one tentative look into the box and became enarmoured by what she found in there... and that had been that. Sp they decided to do the work together while Tina was still able to help at least a little.

The room now held a sizable cabinet and change unit, a wooden cradle and a rocking chair, made from dark wood and family heirlooms all. According to his mother both he and his brother had already been lying inside that cradle and were nursed in that very same rocking chair while their clothing and other neccessities had been stocked in that very same cabinet. They _did_ look the age for it, even though Newt had absolutely no memory of them.

In a joint effort the room was painted in soothing tones of beige and brown, with a number of handpainted trees on one of the walls. Whenever the mood striked him Newt would go in there and add a few more things to it. Today it had been a number of orange flutterbys, later enchanted to fly along the walls and ceiling of the equally enchanted forest. Their child would have a magical nursery indeed... a place where the cruelties of the outside world should never be allowed to enter if he had anything to say about it.

"It looks wonderful, Newt. How many are there?" Tina, just returned from the office, leaned against the open doorway and watched him work. 

He looked down at her from his position on a small ladder and chuckled. "I have ten so far, but there should be more. You think it might be a tad too much if the whole bunch gets a tree to themselves on the wall?"

She shook her head and grinned. "Not at all... a child's room should be happy and colourful. How about that one there, the second tree from the right?"

Newt nodded approvingly. She had chosen one close to the window where the light would fall for the better part of the day. "I think they'll love that one, yes."

He climbed from the ladder and moved to the other side to start painting number eleven onto the appointed hometree as Tina started to giggle.

"Darling, you've got a smidge of paint right here." She pointed to her cheek where Newt wiped at his own face trying to get clean again. Obviously he was failing though as her giggle turned into outright laughter. "Wait a moment, let me help you."

Tina walked over to him and wiped at his face herself for a moment before pointing her wand to a spot high on his cheekbone. " _Tergeo_ ," she whispered. "There, all clean again."

He gazed at her, so close now. She really did look lovely today in her blue summer dress, proudly showing the swell of her stomach. And then there was that smile on her lips, the lovely warmth in her eyes, that imperceptible glow eminating from her skin... 

"I love you," he uttered, voice soft and tender. Even to his own ears he sounded entirely smitten... which he undeniably was. A more than familiar warmth bloomed inside his chest as he took her in.

Tina grinned. "I love you too, Newt." Her beautiful smile slowly turned into a displeased grimace though as she pressed a hand into the small of her back. The growing discomforts of pregnancy... And Tina had only just returned from from a long day at the Ministry.

"You want me to run a nice warm bath for your back, love?" he asked softly, knowing the most effective remedies to her pains by heart already.

She nodded and sighed. "That would be great."

"Alright, should be ready in five minutes."

She caught him by the hand as he made his way past her, a certain small smile playing on her face. The warmth pooled inside him turned into heat at the sight. "Could I talk you into joining me, too?"

Newt smirked and leaned in to finally put a kiss to her rosy lips. "Anything you like, my love," he whispered once they had parted again. "I'll be waiting for you."

There was no more painting for Newt Scamander that night.

 

* * *

 

Besides Newt's birthday the first week of September also brought a familiar face to the British Auror Offices: Percival Graves, former Director of Magical Security at MACUSA and for a few months now appointed Chief of a Special Investigations Unit. He and his team would be working with her own group of Special Investigators to look into the doings and meddlings of one Gellert Grindelwald in Germany.

"Auror Scamander." The usually rather stoic man greeted Tina warmly when he arrived in front of her office, which also functioned as the meeting room and staff room for all members of the Grindelwald Unit. 

"Auror Graves. Welcome to London." Usually they were not so formal in greeting, since Percival had become a friend of the family through Theseus and Arabella in the years since she had left New York. But here in their workplace they only shook hands and nodded at each other.

Graves' mouth slowly turned up into a grin when his eyes drifted over her figure as she stood by the door. "By Morrigan, no wonder they only made you assistant leader for this. Married life finally caught up with you, huh?"

"So it seems," she agreed with a shrug and a chuckle.

Tina would have been lead investigator of this special group if things had been different in the spring, but her job now was to help coordinate all information and hand out assignments. A desk job to keep her busy and useful until work was not an option anymore. She didn't particularly mind though... she was not too keen on going undercover in Germany herself, not with openly anti-semitic sentiments on the rise to power over there. It was bad enough reading about Hitler and his doings in her reports day in day out, there was no need to experience it herself. 

"I won't be around that much longer now," she explained, gesturing to her stomach, "so we better go to work getting you and your team up to speed. A lot has happened in the past week."

Percival shook his head with a grin as he followed her inside. "Theseus really could have told me about this, you know... I was actually about to launch a complaint about your obvious lack of promotion here first thing today. Good thing I waited until after I saw you, though."

Tina laughed. Her former mentor was still looking out for her it seemed.

"Ít's all good, Percy. I didn't even expect to keep working here at all, so absolutely no harm done." She gestured for him to sit and settled into her chair herself, nicely cushioned with a pillow to avoid unneccessary strain to her back. "And just so you know, Quinton Derwent is just as fine as lead investigator as I would have been. He's been my partner since I've started working here, so he knows how to deal with Americans on the job. Got some years of experience on me, too."

Graves nodded and returned to his professional demeanour. "Right... Let's compare notes then, shall we? Anything new from Nuremberg?"

 

She had trouble sleeping. It had been a hard day at work with lots to coordinate for her with the new arrivals from the States and she may have overdone it a little with the coffee during the afternoon. It was the third time now she got up again to use the bathroom this night and it was starting to annoy her greatly. She quietly crawled back into bed, trying to get back into a comfortable position to fall asleep. And tried. And tried.

"Tina?" Newt's sleepy voice came from the other side of their bed, his curly bedhead appearing from the nest of pillows and blankets he had accumulated around him in the past hours. "What is it?"

"Go back to sleep, Newt," she whispered, pushing her own pillows around rather more angrily than neccessary.

"Are you alright?" He sat up now, sounding far more concerned than the situation warranted.

"I'm fine," she huffed. "Just can't get comfortable enough to fall asleep with my back aching and a quaffel stuffed into my nightgown. And the moment I finally do there's either a well-aimed kick or my bladder wants to be emptied again."

"Yes, I noticed that," he sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Anything I can do to help?"

"No, just go back to sleep." She had to suffer through this alone. Tina closed her eyes and heard a rustle of sheets as he lay down again. She hadn't wanted to wake him with her tossing and turning... at least one of them should have a good night's rest and it certainly wasn't going to be her tonight. The sheets kept rustling though as Newt tried to get back to sleep himself. When he spoke to her a few minutes later he seemed much more awake than before.

"Tina?" he asked hesitantly. She made a noise in reply, letting him know that she was still awake too. "Could you turn onto your other side, please?"

"What, am I too hideous to look at now?" she hissed in reply. She regretted her words immediately, spoken in a flare of moodyness, but it was too late to take them back now.

"What? No! You're beautiful, love. Please don't think differently." He paused for a moment. "I'd like to try something though... so we might both go back to sleep." He sounded even more hesitant now than before. Her doing without doubt... it was not his fault she couldn't find sleep. With a sigh of annoyance at herself Tina turned onto her left to face away from him, rearranging her pillows as she went. Sleeping was only remotely comfortable lying on her side these days, preferably with an extra pillow stuffed between her legs.

Carefully Newt slid up behind her and gently draped his arm around her middle, moving closer until they were lying back to chest. Cuddled up so closely behind her he sighed deeply in contentment. "Is this okay for you?"

"Yes," she found, surprised by how much more comfortable she suddenly felt. "What about when I need to get up again though?"

"Then you get up," he replied seriously and nuzzled the back of her neck. 

"But I'll wake you..."

Newt chuckled softly. "I wake up anyway every time you leave the bed, love. Like this at least I get to have you close again."

"I wake you?" Tina groaned. About a week ago Tina had asked him to keep his distance from her at night so exactly that wouldn't happen...

He placed a comforting kiss to the back of her neck and hummed in confirmation. "It's alright, Tina. I helped putting you in this situation, so it's about time I start suffering a little from it too, don't you think?"

Tina grinned. That was such a typically Newt thing to say. "How are you not bone-tired all day then?" she wondered. He always seemed his usual chipper self, at least when she came down in the mornings to find him sipping tea and reading the Daily Prophet, and in the evenings when he returned from work.

There was a little pause before he answered. "I nap," he finally admitted. "In my suitcase. My colleagues think I'm in there feeding my beasts, but... I just lie down in a hammock between the trees and sleep for an hour around midday."

She couldn't help the giggle escaping her. "Sleeping on the job, huh? I wish I could do that." 

Newt snuggled a little closer. "I'd rather wish we could both get our restful sleep at home, in bed, preferably together... but I guess that won't be happening for the forseeable future."

Tina yawned. "Whatever your plan just now was... I think it's working." She was beginning to feel drowsy with sleep again, and actually felt comfortable enough to drop into unconciousness with Newt's arm protectively draped around her middle.

"Body warmth," he explained softly. "Let's you know you're not alone, no need to stay alert. Soothing for any back pains too I imagine." She hummed in agreement. "It was just a hunch, but I'm glad it's working... holding a pillow is a very measly substitute for you."

"Sorry I pushed you away," she mumbled, waving their fingers together over her belly. "Good night, darling. I'll see you in about an hour I guess."

Newt chuckled and squeezed her hand. "See you in an hour, love. Sleep well." 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we're basically through the second trimester of Tina's pregnancy now. I hope that I'm not boring you yet ;)  
> As always, comments are very much appreciated. Help me get my muse back, please!


	7. Part 1: Exhaustions and Exchanges

By the end of September it was time for another visit to the midwife. Tina was well into her seventh month by now and things started to get more exhausting again as her belly became bigger and bigger. If she still resembled any kind of magical creature at all these days it would most likely be an Erumpent, though even those creatures had more grace than she did lately.

It didn't stop Newt from loving and adoring her though. Like herself he had taken the afternoon off from work to accompany his wife on her appointment and together they walked from the Ministry to the midwife's practice near St. Mungos. Mrs. Mable Hopkins was a confident witch in her late fifties, dark hair laced with greys and whites and so utterly calm and reassuring that even Tina forgot about her worries for a time. Newt had gotten on with her quite a bit better than Tina had expected at first... and often asked even more questions than she herself did to satisfy his curiosity on the topic of pregnancy. It amused Mable to no end seeing a man in her practice at all, and one so keen on knowing what exactly was going on with his expecting wife, too.

"Still curious I see," the older witch grinned after another round of inquieries from him. "You're not going to put that into one of your books, are you Mr. Scamander?" Even after several visits and a repeated offer to please call him Newt, she still insisted on calling him by his last name. A matter of principle, she had said and left it at that.

"Eh no. No," her husband answered, shaking his head with a chuckle. "This is all just private research... a current interest if you will."

"Not planning on becoming a midwife yourself then?" she quipped from the other side of her desk.

Tina couldn't help the giggle. Newt was more or less a midwife already, though one for beasts rather than humans. Actually, they had both helped bringing more than a few tiny creatures into this world in their years together.

"Is there such a thing as male midwives?" he wondered, frowning heavily. "Trained and licenced ones I mean. I know a few people who would consider that most improper."

"You're right there, Mr. Scamander," she agreed with a nod. "In my opinion birth is a process that should be left to women alone... unless in cases of emergency of course." She turned to Tina with a smile. "Now, if there are no more questions I think it's time we start having a look at you, Tina."

As always Newt was asked to leave the room for the actual examination, a fact that he only grudgingly had relented to seeing that as her husband he already knew what Tina looked like undressed. Mable was adamant about it though, another one of her principles, so the numerous proddings and measurings and checkings were done in private.

"Well, all looks well so far. Your weight and girth are right in the middle where you should be at this point with. Your husband will love to hear that I'm sure."

Tina grinned as she readjusted her dress. "You know he'll do some measuring himself once we're home... for his own notes. They might be even more detailed than the ones you have, come to think about it."

"It's not a bad thing to do though," the midwife said. "Keeping an eye on your development yourself I mean. If I may suggest, you could start keeping track of how active your child is, too. Pick a time of activity and each day see how long it takes to feel ten movements."

She nodded. "Any drastic changes from the norm warrant a call on you, I know. My sister told me you'd ask that, so I've started on it already."

"Well then..." She chuckled. "Anything else on your mind? Things will get a little more taxing for you again now in the last trimester."

Tina hummed in agreement. "I guess it's normal to feel so exhausted again already? I could nod off all day 'round to be honest."

"It's not unusual at least. It's the sleep you're missing out on these days," the older woman explained. "With the size of your stomach it's getting harder to feel comfortable, I know. Have you tried the pillows yet?"

"Yes, helps a bit but not always. The fatigue is even worse than at the beginning though."

"You're still working, right?" Tina nodded. "Then it's hard for you to get some rest during the day I imagine."

She nodded again. Tina still dutifully sat at her desk every weekday, the thought of handing in her notice had crossed her mind already though... particularly after that horrible sleepless night a week ago. It had been quite hard to keep concentrating on reports when all you wanted was to find a place to get some shut-eye.

"Try and rest as much as possible though, even if you can't actually sleep. And try to not make it up with more coffee or tea, Tina. That will make it even worse. You'd have to get up even more often at night."

Tina sighed. That was what she had done wrong the other day then... "Been there, done that. And I'll try not to make that mistake again, yes."

The midwife chuckled. "But if I may be so bold, Tina... you should probably think about when to hand in your notice at the Ministry. It will only get more exhausting, you know? You still have about eight weeks to go, and I always advise that the last four at least should be as stress free as possible for a mother..."

Newt had asked her the same thing... if and when she planned to stop working. It still wasn't easy to let go though, especially with the newest developments on the continent. Tina sighed. "I've always loved my job, making the world just a little bit safer each day. But I guess it's gonna be time to go soon."

Mable smiled. "You wouldn't be be making the world at large a safer place anymore, but less strain and stress on you would certainly make your child a little bit safer."

The midwife was right of course. Her child was actually more important than her desk work since basically anyone else at the Ministry could summarize those reports and hand out assignments. She should stop thinking from her point of view and start seeing from her child's perspective. They would probably enjoy mummy being more relaxed. "Thank you," she said and prepared to take her leave. They shook hands.

"You're welcome, Tina. I'll be seeing you in two weeks then?"

"Yes, two weeks." Tina Scamander smiled and went to collect her impatiently waiting husband.

 

* * *

 

With the arrival of autumn came a number of important holidays to be observed as well. There was Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish equivalent of New Year. They had spent the day with the Kowalskis, devided between an open-minded shul in London and the cottage in Dorset. A seder was held, horns were sounded, apples and challah dipped in honey...

Since it was a not so insignificant part of who Tina and Queenie were, both Newt and Jacob had asked a long while ago to be included into their wives' religious traditions and festivities. At least as much as was possible for goys like them since neither had chosen to actually convert to Judaism (yet). And over time it had worked out surprisingly well, especially after Queenie had found a shul in London where not only were their marriages to Non-Jews not frowned upon, the rabbi there also knew a thing or two about magic. They were not the only wizards in attendence for the services.

The day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, followed ten days later bringing 25 hours spent fasting, praying and repenting. Tina wasn't usually all that observant a Jew he had noticed quite early on, but certain holidays and traditions were mandatory even so... and this was one of them. Newt had been concerned hearing that even heavily pregnant she would observe this holiday just as any other year, but much to his relief the full night and day without nourishment had passed uneventfully and with no apparent harm done to either her or their unborn child. He had a strong urge to keep Tina fed for some days afterwards, though.

Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, began five days after that and was a much merrier affair by any standard. Much to his nephew's delight they built a sukkah in the garden together, a beautifully decorated hut made from branches and leaves and other natural elements where they would have their meals whenever possible for the seven days of the holiday.

Despite it being early October by then it was a warm and beautiful day in Dorset. Newt was supposed to be working on the booth like anyone else but he couldn't help but pause from time to time to watch and marvel at Sammy running around their garden, chasing after the first fallen leaves, laughing and enjoying life as only a three-year-old could. Tina caught him in one such moment, smiling knowingly at him when she followed his gaze. _Soon we'll have that too_ , her eyes seemed to say as her hand cradled the still growing globe of her stomach. Soon... On days like those Newt began to feel rather impatient though.

 

With the end of summer slowly but surely the golden days of Tina's pregnany had come to an end as well. After much deliberation she had finally handed in her notice at work that first week of October and reluctantly turned her office duties over to Derwent and Graves.

Newt was glad to finally see her step back. Since the second half of September already she had more often than not returned home from the Ministry tired and exhausted, back complaining, feet hurting even though she worked at a desk for most of the day. According to Mrs. Hopkins it was a normal thing to happen and nothing to worry about, at least if she kept her rest when at home. Which his wife had dutifully done. Tina had preferred to lounge on the couch in the living room whenever her help wasn't absolutely neccessary, a book in hand and a little bowl of snacks perched on her belly whenever she wasn't actually dozing or napping.

The sudden lack of daily occupation left Tina in low spirits for a while though. With nothing to do but sitting around all day ' _resting and nesting'_ she began to feel useless, causing her to grow quite moody for a bit. She stayed in bed most mornings, found fault with him for whatever had annoyed her that day when he returned home in the evening, then left in a huff not to be seen again until the smells at dinner time lured her back into the kitchen.

Newt endured it like the dutiful husband he was, never arguing back, accepting whatever fault she found with him, giving her the space she obviously desired. But it was not a pleasant time... and he did not know how to make her feel better. His company seemed to annoy her more than please her most days. The steps down into his suitcase (and up again) were too steep to climb in her advancing pregnancy, leaving that option of a calming and relaxing atmosphere off limits. And Dougal's mothering had set her off even more when Newt had brought the Demiguise out to keep Tina company for a bit. It was frustrating to say the least, and only bearable because they still shared their bed at night. As long as that was still the case, he knew Tina didn't actually hate him for putting her in this miserable condition.

About two weeks after her last day at work Newt returned home from work to find her crying in the living room. She hurried to hide her tears from him but he knew her well enough by now to see through her efforts.

"Tina, love..." He coaxed her back down onto the couch with him and gathered her in his arms to comfort her through whatever had his strong wife so in tears. "Talk to me... please talk to me."

And finally, after a long while of silence, talk she did. About all the anxieties and frustrations plagueing her now that she had nothing else to occupy her mind, insecurities he had thought eliminated a long while ago. And they were so much more numerous than he would have thought... Doubts of being a good mother, having lost her own at such a young age and not many examples to go by. Dreading the extreme pains and exertions of delivery, and wondering if it would end well for both her and the child. Dismay about her changing body that would not emerge from this adventure unscarred, and a deepset worry that Newt would not want to be with her anymore as he once did. Mourning the loss of her independence, now that she was unemployed and would be for a long while to come.

Newt and Tina both spend the night there huddled on the couch, talking, weeping, dozing together. And things looked a little better again the next morning when Newt turned up at his desk hours later than usual. He had left Tina with parts of his newest manuscript for _Fantastic Beasts_ to revise in his stead, something to keep her mind occupied should there be need again while he was gone. 

He returned home that evening to find his wife with a smile again, for probably the first time in two weeks. 

 

"Hello there, Little Stranger," he cooed at Tina's belly as they were lying on their bed together.

Newt had made it a habit to talk to their unborn child every night (or morning, or any time Tina would let him really), gently resting his hands and head against her swollen middle as he did so. Much to his joy the baby moved quite a bit by now, kicking and squirming underneath her skin. He loved being able to feel them so clearly, and not just randomly moving but reacting to the sound of his voice, too.

"How are you today?" he wondered softly, feeling another movement underneath his hand. "Quite well, going by what I heard of your acrobatics today. Somersaults, was it?"

Unlike him Tina didn't enjoy the kicks so much anymore... with less than a month of pregnancy left it was exhausting her now more than ever. It was hard for her to get comfortable in just about any position and moving around had become a bit of a chore. She was waddling more than walking these days, easily out of breath even from short distances as the growing child inside her seemingly took up more space each day. And those were only some of the more obvious discomforts bothering her.

"Definitely somersaults," she agreed with a smile before continuing her humming. Tina had begun singing lullabies to her belly, accompanied by soothing caresses in the hopes of finding a bit of restful sleep herself at night. It was the time in which their Little Stranger seemed to be the most active on any given day.

"Shhh. Settle down now, little one," Newt chuckled as their child moved again. "Your Mummy needs a bit of sleep too, you know?"

"That she does..." Tina sighed and squirmed against the growing pile of pillows on their bed. "I'm pretty sure, it's actually a Mooncalf growing in there. Sleeping for the better part of the day and all active come night... especially when Mummy lies down to rest, isn't that right?" She stroked her belly with an affectionate grin none the less.

"A little Mooncalf, hm?" He was rewarded with another light kick, promping him to chuckle as he looked back at his wife. "They seem to like that name, love."

"Don't encourage him, Newt," she scolded him. "It's bad enough as it is... when was the last time any of us got a restful night of sleep, hm?"

But he hadn't heard her actual question, grinning up at her in excitement instead. "Him? You think it's going to be a boy?"

"Or her," she amended, a soft smile tugging at her lips. "I really couldn't say, darling."

He let his hands glide over the curve of her belly in a soothing caress. "Have you thought about a name yet, love?"

"A little," she admitted. "You know I'd like Nathanael for a boy, though... not as a first name. Not in times like these when a name is enough to warrant suspicion."

Newt understood her too well, having heard more than enough about what was going on in Germany these days. "And for a girl?" he continued, not wanting to dwell on such topics at the moment.

"Beatrice... or Delia." She shifted to get more comfortable, reclining a little further back now. "What about you, darling? Any thoughts on names?"

Newt only smiled. "Some... but I'd rather meet them first before settling on something to be honest. I do like your suggestions though."

"So you're keeping secrets from your pregnant wife now?" she teased before a yawn forced its way out of her.

Newt hummed in agreement. "We'll just have to wait another month at most to find out just who you are, don't we?" And he could hardly wait to finally meet them. He placed a soft kiss just below the protruding belly button. "Good night, little Mooncalf. Let Mummy get some sleep tonight, alright?"

Newt tenderly tucked Tina's nightgown back over her belly before lying down next to her and pulling the blanket over both of them. She was obviously tired... and so was he after a long day divided between Ministry and suitcase.

"We actually got some time after birth to decide on a name together," Tina continued their conversation a little later when they had both settled in to sleep, "until the following Shabbat if it's a girl, or eight days to the bris if it's a boy."

Newt nodded. He knew this already from both their previous conversations and witnessing his niece and nephew being named. Like them their child would be raised Jewish, which meant there would be a circumcision ceremony for a boy and blessings at Shabbat service for a girl. "I'm sure we can find something suitable... and if not, 'Mooncalf' might still be an option. At least our Little Stranger seems to love it."

She shook her head though. "I think we'd be bad parents indeed if that is the name we decide on. Imagine the taunts that would inspire at school..."

Newt grimaced at the thought. Better leave that as a moniker then, after all they couldn't keep calling them 'Little Stranger' once they're here. Thankfully the little one really had settled down by now... at least he could feel no more kicks where his hand was placed on Tina's stomach. "We'll find something. Good night, my love."

Tina chuckled. "Good night, Newt."

 

* * *

 

Slowly, yet all too quickly the year turned into November and with it grew closer the date for the baby to arrive. Since Newt was at work most days they had moved to Scamander Manor for the last weeks of her pregnancy, where she would not be on her own for the better part of the day.

Tina would have preferred to stay at their cottage (in their home) for the birth, but at long last she had agreed with Newt's initial suggestion thinking it the wiser and better option. They had tried to accomodate her wishes for a bit with Queenie, Gracia and Newt keeping her company on something like a 'schedule of supervision' since all were too busy with their own families and jobs to stay with her the entire day. Tina had had enough to those continuous visitors after a mere three days though.

So Scamander Manor it was. Newt's mother was very excited to have her there and together with a whole family of House-Elves she would be well taken care of, though none of them were actually forced to keep her company like a prison guard.

In the mornings Newtwould get up with a smile on his face and disappear into the case for an hour before making sure Tina had a small breakfast in bed and something to nibble on for later on. Only after a few sweet words to his child and a kiss to the mother would he finally leave for work.

Tina spent most days either up in Newt's childhood bedroom (which had now become _their_ bedroom whenever they stayed at the Manor for the night) or down in the library reading in one of the comfortable leather arm chairs. She only had to call out for one of the House-Elves or Gracia herself to appear within a minute. She was very well looked after here indeed... a luxury she better shouldn't get used to now.

Newt returned every night just in time to have an early dinner with her and afterwards he'd bring out Dougal from his case while he was busy again in there. The creature was mothering her even worse than Gracia and Newt combined, bringing her glasses of water and that forgotten plateopf half-eaten sandwiches from the table across the room in order to keep her fed while cooing at her belly at any other moment. The first time the Demiguise had felt the baby move (some time ago now) had been quite something... Dougal had jumped back in schocked surprise before being all over her stomach in order to feel it again. It had taken a lot of coaxing from Newt to get him back into the case again that day... and they had woken up to find Dougal curled up at the end of their bed in the early hours of morning.

Creatures all taken care of Newt would focus entirely on her for the rest of the night, massaging her tired feet or tense shoulders, reading with her and talking to their little Stranger before making sure Tina was comfortable enough to fall asleep with him. 

"You really could come out soon, little Mooncalf," she sighed in the middle of the night when there was once again no position of comfort to be found for her. "I can't wait to finally have you in my arms instead of my belly." 

Newt covered her hand with his and smiled at her sleepily. It wouldn't be too long now they both knew. Tina could feel it as the so called practice contractions become more numerous over time. Newt could see it as their baby gradually shifted inside her, dropped lower in preparation for delivery.

"You an me both," he mumbled. "Won't be long now." Smiling he fell back into an exhausted sleep. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not too happy with how the chapter turned out, but I've written and rewritten this so often now I just want to get it over with... so here you go. Tina's last trimester of pregnany and some fluffy scenes with Newt and his child. 
> 
> We're close to the end of part 1 now and I confess I still haven't written much for part 2 yet. Which is why for now this story ends with chapter 9 until I have more to continue.  
> 


	8. Part 1: The Miracle of Life

Since around noon Tina had been feeling soft cramps again. These pulling sensations low in her stomach had been going on for a few days now, but unlike previous times today they didn't seem to stop again. In fact, if anything they were gradually getting stronger. It had been hours of these irregular mild 'practice contractions' now and when the pain got strong enough for the former Auror to actually wince from it Porpentina Scamander had to admit to herself: Today was the day.

She stood from the cushioned armchair where she had tried to concentrate on reading a book all afternoon, placed cozily between the light windows and the warm fireplace in their bedroom at the Manor. Outside it was a cold and grey November afternoon with an overcast sky the colour of Erumpent skin that was already darkening with the beginning of dusk... and of course it was raining faintly, barely more than a good English drizzle.

The clock on the mantle over the small fireplace told her it was just past four in the afternoon. It had been over four hours then... not just stronger but definitely lasting longer than the days before. She stroked a hand over the unmistakable form of her belly protruding under the wide nightgown she wore. She hadn't actually felt like dressing this morning.

"Fine day you chose to come out, little Mooncalf," she spoke with a soft smile, "entirely _English_. I can't shake the feeling you'll come after your father." She felt a kick against her hand in reply and chuckled. Today was the day.

Tina carefully made her way to the door of her bedroom and opened it, then took a few steps down the corridor and called out for her mother-in-law. "Gracia?" She managed to make it all the way to the first floor balustrade where the wide staircase down into the entrance hall was situated before she heard hurried foot steps below her.

"Tina, dear. What is it?" Newt's mother mustered her for a moment before hurrying up the stairs to join her. "Have the pains started up again?"

Tina leaned against the banister and nodded. "For a while now... and they're getting stronger." Just then another convulsion worked through her lower region, causing her to gasp and clutch at her pregnant belly. This time she remembered to breathe slowly and evenly through the not so mild anymore pain.

"Looks quite like it," the woman agreed with a frown. "How long has it been?"

"A bit over four hours," she said as the contraction has passed. "Or... about 20 Minutes since the last one if that's what you've wanted to know. They're fairly regular today."

"Hm, that does sound like the little one might want out today indeed." Gracia smiled. "A litte earlier than expected but we better get things ready then."

She nodded. "I've got a bit until the next one will hit... what can I do to help?"

The older witch laughed, a sound reminding her quite a bit of her Newt. "Tina darling, you get back to the bedroom and rest up as long as you can. You'll need that strength later. I'll go and inform your Mrs. Hopkins now... and your sister. You want her with you for this, don't you?"

Tina didn't even need to think about her answer. "Yes. And... tell Newt too please? He'd want to know."

"Of course. I'll send a message to the Ministry to let him know it's time."

She hurried back down the steps to vanish into one of the far too many rooms this Manor had. Tina on the other hand waddled back into the bedroom. The last one on the left, Newt's former childhood bedroom... the one they had for years now shared whenever they had stayed here over night. Their bedroom for the past two weeks now.

She took her time walking back down the corridor before sinking carefully into the comfortable armchair by the window once again. 'Rest up' Gracia had said. That was probably not such a bad idea... it would still be a long way to go until this was over and she'd need all the strength she had to get there.

 

Gracia returned a little while later, waving her wand about with a flourish. The previously used bedding stripped itself from the fourposter bed as new sheets flew out of the closet in the corner of the room. It took less than a minute for the bed to be made up again in fresh clean linnens, charmed and ready for a birth. A small stack of fresh towels still lay in waiting in said closet as well... for when the actual delivery began.

"I owled a message to Newt and sent Molly to your midwife," she announced. "Crad is on his way to your sister, so she'll be with you soon."

Tina nodded. "It's still a while to go... I don't think we needed that much hurry."

Green eyes watched her with amusement. "You never know dearie... every delivery is different, so it's hard to say how fast or slow it will go for you. Should I get you something to eat in the meantime?"

Not sure if they were pangs of hunger or something related to the contractions she nodded. "I think I could eat something, yes. And maybe some more water to drink?"

"Of course, dear. I'll be right back." Gracia Samander hurried back out of the room just as another contraction pulled at her. The older woman didn't look as chipper anymore though as she returned to put a plate of small sandwiches in front of Tina and filled up her glass of water.

"Molly just came back with a message from Mrs. Hopkins," she explained. "She's still busy over at the Prewett's for now, but she'll be here for you as soon as possible."

Tina nodded and took a small bite of the food placed before her, not feeling that hungry after all. "That's okay. She won't be actually needed unless the contractions are less than five minutes apart anyways, right? That's when the fun part begins..."

The older witch chuckled. "Right you are... until then it's all just a waiting game."

It was not ten minutes later that Queenie joined them, appearing at the bedroom door with a huge smile on her face just as Tina had settled back into the armchair for something resembling a doze.

"Teenie!" she squealed and came to hug her before quickly backing away again. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't wanna wake you!"

"It's okay, sis... I wasn't sleeping anyway." _Only trying to._

Her little sister did a little excited jump, something she recognised as a restrained version of her usual little happy dance. "Oh, this is so exciting. You're gonna have your baby, Teenie!"

She managed a chuckle while rubbing soothing circles over her stomach again. "All in good time, Queenie... I just hope you won't take that long, Mooncalf. You don't wanna to put Mummy through a difficult birth, do you?" She had heard stories about women being in labour for a day or longer... dreadful stories she didn't want to live through herself. Hopefully her little Stranger wouldn't take that long to arrive.

 

The period between her contractions became ever so much shorter as afternoon turned into evening. Darkness had now fallen outside the window and the curtains were drawn shut to keep out the cold. The low but warming fire was steadily burning in the chimney. Tina had begun to move again, walking around the bedroom in endless circles and stopping every so often to grit her teeth and breath through the pain when another contraction came. Afterwards she pressed a steadying hand into the small of her back, complaining from the strain and weight it had to carry, and once more rubbed a soothing hand over her belly.

"You're doing fine, little one," she murmured. "Being born is a tedious business for your too I imagine."

She kept walking in circles, chatting with the other women in between stopping and clutching at whatever available steady surface was near when a new wave of pain went through her. The contractions were not just getting stronger now, they lasted longer too.

" _Mercy_ , why is this so painful?" she couldn't help but complain after a particularly bad one.

"Would you like something for that, dearie? I'm no midwife, but the medicine cabinet may hold a potion or two to make the pain more bearable. I could give you a low dose if you like."

Tina thought about it for a minute before answering. "It's gonna get more painful that this, ain't it?" Both Gracia and Queenie nodded. "Then I'll wait with that potion until Mable finally arrives... or I can't take it any more."

The pain was still somewhat bearable after all, and the contractions were far enough apart to allow her to catch her breath again inbetween. Just above ten minutes between the last two. Her midwife would probably be here soon anyway... she and her calming presence.

Tina was slowly starting to get nervous now as the delivery grew nearer. Some time in the next hours she would bring a new life into this world. This terrible world with all it's horrors and hatered. It was not just the magical world, no. The No-Maj world was getting worse by the week as well. Especially for people like her... her sister... her niece and nephew... her child. Jewish people. Antisemitism had been on the rise again for years here in Europe, and not just on the continent. But with that Hitler fellow rising to power in Germany new heights had been reached on that front. And it was frightening... it was terrifying. A child should not be thrust into this kind of world. _What were we thinking, having a child amidst all this?!_

"Teenie," her sister hissed in reply to her thoughts, "that's really not something to worry about now."

Tina turned around sharply to look at her sitting next to the bed. "Isn't it? You read the news, you know it's always something to worry about these days."

Queenie grimaced. "I know. Not today though, okay? Right now you have something else you need to concentrate on. Your baby is coming!"

"Yes, I kno-"

Just then another painful convulsion went through her and robbed her of the ability to speak. She clutched the window sill in next to her and did her best to not whimper. Once again she failed. Queenie was probably right and she should stay focussed on the task at hand... bringing her child safely into this world, unpleasant as it may be.

Gracia gently shook her shoulder, pulling her from another train of dark thoughts. "Tina dear... would you come and sit on the bed for a moment? I think it's time for someone to check just how far you already are." Tina nodded and turned to move back to the bed. "You don't mind if I do it, right? Your Mable isn't here yet and we really should keep an eye on you now. That was barely eight minutes apart, dear."

"Sure. It's okay, Gracia." She shrugged out of her dressing gown before settling on the bed. "I take it you've helped deliver a few babys in your time?" she asked as her mother-in-law started examining her with freshly cleaned hands. Thankfully they were rather warm to the touch.

"Well, there's the obvious two I gave birth to myself," she said with a smirk. "And I assisted on a few other deliveries over the years, so I know a thing or two." The prodding and poking didn't last too long before her nightgown was pulled down again. "Well, as far as I can tell you've still got a little more to go, dear."

Tina carefully sat up again, feeling too antsy to remain resting for now. She resumed her well-known path of walking. "Have we heard from Newt yet?" she wondered.

"Not yet, Teenie. Do you want him here?"

She nodded. It looked like her midwife wouldn't be able to make it and in that case she'd rather have her husband here. A calming presence to steady her and somehow help her through it... Newt had always been good at supporting her. Queenie was already here of course, but... one look at her was enough to know that she didn't enjoy being here as much as she let on.

Gracia glanced at both of them for a moment before nodding to herself. "I'll send Crad to get him. Maybe he hasn't received the message yet... Mail Delivery in the Ministry can be a bit slow at times."

"Yeah, please do that." She knew it was a rather unusual request to have the father there for the delivery... but her mother-in-law hurried from the room anyway. Tina knew Gracia had noticed too what she herself had seen. Her sister was suffering from being here.

"Queenie," she gasped after the next contraction had passed.

The blonde hurried over to her side with a concerned look on her face. "What is it, honey?"

"When Newt is here... I want you to go back home to Ruth and Samuel."

"But Teenie-"

"No. I can see this is a nightmare for you. You've been through this yourself, you know how much worse it's going to get yet. And I'm projecting already, aren't I?" Her sister bit her lip and nodded. "I won't need all three of you here, even if the midwife doesn't make it in time. Please, I can't take you suffering along with me."

Queenie nodded. "Okay, yes. I'll... I'll go when Newt's here."

She smiled at her sister. "Thank you, Queenie." At least her sister would not suffer any longer... but how much longer would she herself have to endure this?

 

* * *

 

When Newt Scamander arrived at the Manor he didn't walk up the stairs and down the corridor to their room. No, he _ran_.

His mother's message had gotten to him just a few minutes before, when he had returned from Wales to find the envelope lying on his desk. No one had thought to forward something marked 'urgent' to his actual location... But going by the sounds he hadn't missed his child's birth just yet. Tina's cries of agony were still resounding through the house when he stepped out of the fireplace.

He came to a halt in front of the door which had been left ajar, and carefully pushed it open to assess the situation. Tina was lying close to the edge of the bed, nightgown clinging to her sweaty skin and panting hard through gritted teeth just as the contraction seemed to have passed. That message had obviously been lying on his desk for a while.

"Tina." He made his way into the room and sat by her side, stroking a few strands of sweaty hair from her brow with a soft smile. "How are you feeling, love?"

"What do you think?" she pressed out. "Your baby is slowly forcing its way out of my body. I've never been more comfortable."

Newt chuckled and dropped a kiss to her forehead. "It can't be too bad when you're still quipping at me."

"It's my coping mechanism!" she exclaimed. "Where have you been? It's been hours!"

"I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have left the office but I was in Wales, investigatig another Dragon sighting. I didn't get the message until I returned just ten minutes ago."

She huffed out a laugh. "Of course you were chasing after Dragons."

"But I'm here now," he grinned. "And you're actually a week early, love."

Newt took a quick look around the room and noticed his mother standing by the door, arms of her blouse rolled up and hair tucked neatly back into a bun. She had a small smile playing on her face as she watched them. Queenie on the other hand was hovering back by the windows, looking rather pale and distressed.

"Where's Mrs. Hopkins?" he wondered. The midwife was the one expected person he _didn't_ see with his wife.

"She's still busy at the Prewett's," Queenie informed him in a shaky voice. "Could still take a bit, Molly said."

"Queenie, you should go now," Tina said as she clung to his hand.

"Yes. You can go now, dearie," Gracia repeated with am encouraging smile. "Newt and I will manage well enough until the midwife gets here. Don't put yourself through this unneccessarily."

Queenie nodded and came to kiss her sister goodbye and whisper a few words of encouragement before hurrying from the room. She was relieved to be gone by the looks of it and Newt felt for her... being a natural Legilimens had many many drawbacks. She had probably lived through Tina's pain with every single contraction. And just as the door had closed behind her another contraction had Tina tense and cry out next to him, causing Newt to cry out with her as she kept an iron grip on his hand.

"I don't think it's gonna be much longer now," his mother observed after Tina had released him again. "One of the Prewett girls is having a difficult birth. So at this rate... I fear we might have to do this by ourselves."

Newt swallowed heavily, suddenly thinking of all the things that could go wrong during a birth... even with trained personnel on hand. The dread must have shown on his face.

"It will be fine, Newt. So far everything looks quite normal. As far as I could tell there are no complications yet, the little one is in the right position, she's progressing as she should... It wouldn't be too difficult to do this without a trained midwife."

He looked down at Tina, now lying exhausted in his arms. She looked so pale and there were dark shadows forming underneath her eyes. Just how long had she been in labour already?

"How long-?"

"Noon," she told him. "Though I wasn't sure until around four."

It was nearly eight o'clock now... it had taken him four hours to finally be there for her after she had sent for him. "I'm sorry I didn't make it earlier."

She smiled and rested her head in his lap. "As long as you're here now."

He carefully shrugged out of his coat and jacket and levitated them to a chair in the corner as she tried to get some rest. It was rather warm in here and having Tina so close wasn't helping either. Her rest didn't last long though as another painful contraction had to be worked through.

 

"Newt," his mother adressed him after checking on his wife one more time. "I've assisted with a few deliveries before, but since we're on our own for now I might need your help too."

He frowned. "But I've never done this before." He'd helped deliver quite a few babies in his time, but creatures all of them. He'd never even come close to witnessing the birth of a human before.

"There's not that much difference between a creature and a woman in labour, you know. It's all instinct. And I've been told you did quite a bit of research in the past months. The last contractions were barely four minutes apart, you should know what that means."

That he did... as his mother had already said: it wouldn't be long now. Newt swallowed. "Alright, I'll do my best to help."

 

In the end his help wasn't much needed after all. Once her waters had broken and the contractions had become forceful enough to make her want to bear down Tina wouldn't let go of him anymore. The work of assisting with the delivery was left to his mother as he comforted and encouraged his brave Tina through what was probably the longest and most painful hour of her life... and his life, too.

Screams and yells alternated with wimpers and harsh panting breaths. Whenever she was not tensed up during another endlessly long contraction, she lay limp in his arms and Newt himself was in agony from seeing her suffer so. He now had an inkling why it was that the fathers only rarely attended their child's birth.

"I can see the head already, Tina... Your little one is crowning! Just one more push with the next contraction, dear. Can you do that?"

"I can't," she breathed and looked up at him imploringly. "I really can't. I'm so tired."

Newt squeezed her hand. "Yes, you can do it. One more. Only one and then you can rest, alright?" One more push and their child would be born. "You can do it, love."

The next contraction didn't leave them waiting for long... and somehow, somehere Tina did find the strength in her to bear down one more time.

 

* * *

 

Their child was born in the last hour of November 18th 1933 and started wailing loudly and wetly the moment he was out of the womb and safely cradled in Gracia's hands. Newt had never heard a sweeter sound. Tina lay exhauted in his arms, panting heavily but with a relieved smile now that the hardest part was over and their child was finally in this world.

"Congratulations, it's a boy!" His mother told them happily as she gave the baby a perfunctory cleaning. "A sweet little boy."

A son. He was a father now.

"Tina," Newt breathed, deeply awed by that thought. "We have a son, love. A son!"

She smiled and nodded. "We do, Newt."

Gracia put the small babe on Tina's stomach and covered him with a warmed up towel and a cap to keep him warm in this new and foreign environment. Tina's hands immediately came up to hold him softly but securely to her body as the baby's shocked cries slowly calmed down again.

"Hey. There you are, my little Mooncalf," she cooed between sobbing laughs. "I'm so happy to finally meet you."

Newt couldn't take his eyes from the sight in front of him, Tina resting against him with their son resting in her arms, though it was getting admittedly harder to see as tears of happiness filled his eyes. He gently placed his hand over Tina's on their son's back and caressed a thumb over the small head.

"Hello there, little one," he whispered. "Welcome to the family."

 

Later they would decide his name to be Doran. Doran Nathanael Scamander.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, the little Scamanderling is here. And it's a boy! *throws confetti*  
> I tried to be somewhat realistic here in this chapter, though not too much so since I'm sure no one likes to read or write about the actual mess involved! Having never been through childbirth myself I'm not sure just how much I failed or succeeded in that. Thanks to @theonlybooksniffer on tumblr for giving me a few hints and infos on it in addition to my own research of the process! 
> 
> There is only one more chapter left of part 1 now, and as usual you will get to read it next Thursday. My muse has thankfully returned to me this week, so I've been busy working on part 2 now. I will hopefully have enough material to continue posting on _The Adventure of a Lifetime_ some time in August. So you better not unsubscribe from this fic, or you might miss it ;)


	9. Part 1: Meeting the Little Stranger

The first days with a newborn baby were quite chaotic but also full of happiness as they finally got to know their little Stranger. A healthy boy with a light smattering of hair on his head, cute little hands and feet and the bright blue eyes of a newborn. Their little Mooncalf. Forgotten were the discomforts and pains of the past hours. The past weeks. The past months. A deep rush of love and joy filled her the moment her newborn baby had been placed onto her belly.

Tina knew that she would do anything to keep this precious little gift happy and safe. They both would. Newt and her would love and protect him.

The first morning started early and with a fright when Tina found herself completely alone in bed, her large belly shrunk and no baby in sight. She jolted upright at the horrible realisation and searched the room with her eyes. It was still dark outside, the curtains drawn but she soon noticed a cradle next to the armchair by the glowing fire where Newt was deeply asleep himself, head slumped sideways against the backrest as one hand held on to the wooden rail of said cradle. 

A low sound could be heard from inside the crib, not yet a cry but apparently enough to have woken her the first time around. This next one had also been enough to wake up her husband who quickly stirred back to life and leaned forward to check on their son. He must have taken him from her arms after she had fallen sleep last night and kept watch over him all through the night, too. A smile settled onto her lips again, accompanied by a soft warmth blooming in her chest. It only grew while she watched the scene that followed. 

"Hello there," she heard Newt whisper as he carefully picked the child up and cradled him in the crook of his arm. He looked so small in his father's arms.

Doran was wrapped neatly into a soft and warming blanket, a cap still placed on his small head to keep him warm. Another soft wail made Tina want to go over there and check on him, but she felt too sore still to move more then into a sitting position and Newt seemed to do quite well on his own for now. He hadn't noticed her yet and so she could watch him interact with their baby for a moment, completely unobserved and undistracted. And it was a sight well worth seeing as he leaned back in the armchair with only eyes for his little boy.

"Good morning, Doran. Did you sleep well?" he cooed at the little bundle in his arms. "Yes?" The baby seemed to talk back to him, a short but soft cry that made Newt smile even more. The bright expression on his face in that moment was something she had only seen once before... on the day of their wedding. Pure and utter happiness. "That's good to hear, little Mooncalf. Daddy was here to watch over you, you see, and he couldn't possibly have made a mess of this already." Tina couldn't help a soft chuckle it his words. If one of them was to mess this up, it would most likely be her... after all Newt seemed to be able to communicate with their son already.

His gaze went up and over to her for a short moment before settling back on the little one with a grin. 

"Your Mummy is awake too," he continued softly. "You and I probably woke her with our babbling. Let's go and say hello to her too, shall we?"

"I actually woke about a minute before you," Tina corrected his assumption with a tired smile as Newt made his way over to the bed and sat next to her, Doran safely cradled in his arms. "Good morning, you two." 

He greeted her with a kiss to the cheek. "Did have a good rest, love?"

"I did, though I've no idea how long." She was still feeling rather tired to be honest, though however long she had spent asleep before had done her some good already.

Some time past midnight the midwife had finally come and gone again, checking both of them over and declaring nothing amiss, but Tina only had had eyes and mind for her baby. Doran had fallen right asleep in her arms after a first attempt at nursing, seeming happy and content with his new surroundings then after the initial schock of being being brought into this world. Such a lovely and long awaited sight. 

The smile hadn't left her face once since then though it had slowly turned into a wet one as tears had started to gather in her eyes, too. Tears of joy, tears of relief, tears of exhaustion. The extreme pain and stress and emotions of the past day had caught up with her when they were finally alone, just the three of them. Newt had silently sidled next to her onto the bed, careful not to disturb the peaceful slumber of their child as he had taken her into his arms and let her cry herself to sleep... 

"You slept for about three hours," Newt told her. "Though you look like you could do with some more." 

"He must be getting hungry again soon," Tina continued, remembering what Mable had told her about feeding intervals... three hours would be the most she could get of sleep for a while to come. If she was lucky. 

As if on cue Doran started to wail more loudly now and Newt chuckled while handing him over to her. "I think you might be right, love. He needs his Mummy now."

It took a little to get him started but then he was feeding almost greedily. "No need to hurry so, Doran," she chuckled. "One might think I starved you already..." Inwardly she was more than relieved though that her baby took so well to being nursed.

"Is there anything I can get for you, Tina?" Newt inquired softly. "I may not be able to feed our little one just yet, but _you_ I can keep fed."

His question startled her out of her revery as she had been lost again watching her baby. But once his request had registered Tina found she actually was feeling a little hungry. "I could do with something to eat, yes. Would you mind?" Newt chuckled and went about it happily.

 

They only had little more than two hours of sleep after that before the house around them stirred back to life, and with that a seemingly endless day of family visitors began. The first to knock on their door was Gracia, come to see how they were doing and if they needed anything. Perseus followed behind her a little later, excited and awed to meet his newborn grandson. Tina noticed the tears forming in his eyes as Newt had placed Doran into his arms to be held. The old man was visibly moved.

"Hello there, Doran," the wizard spoke unexpectedly soft. "Let's have a look at you, hm?" The baby was awfully quiet while Perseus mustered him for a few moments. "Yes, you're a Scamander alright with that brow." 

"I'm glad you didn't go with something Greek for his name," Gracia commented with a chuckle as Perseus frowned at her. "I had to fight tooth and nail to name you Newton back in the day. Doran sounds more Irish I think, right?"

Tina was surprised she could tell at all. Newt had told her where and how he had come across that name and why he thought it might be a fitting one for their little Stranger. She exchanged a look with her husband who just shrugged and grinned at his parents. "Might be." That story was to be kept between just them then, she mused. 

Queenie came by shortly after breakfast to see the new arrival. One of the House-Elves had gone to bring the Kowalskis the happy news just a little earlier and brought the blonde witch right back to the Manor. Jacob and their kids would be following a little later in the afternoon when the bakery was closed again for Sunday.

"He's a cute one," her ister noted right away. "I think he's gonna come after Newt though, with that hair and those eyes." Tina hummed in agreement. She did not mind that one bit. 

Newt's brother and his family made an appearance later in the afternoon and wished them all the best. If there was any bitterness over the situation in Theseus he did very good at hiding it. All Tina could see in both him and his wife was a sincere happiness to meet their nephew. She was more than glad though to see the backs of all their visitors when Newt sent them on their way again. Exhaustion still had her in a trance-like state for most of the day and she coveted every minute of shut-eye she could get inbetween. 

 

It was three days after the delivery that the midwife came by to once again check up on Tina and her baby. "How are you two today then?"

"We're fine," she replied. "He's a hungry one, no problems with the nursing so far. Sleeps rather a lot."

Mable nodded. "And you, Tina? Any problems?"

She chuckled and looked at Newt standing near the window. "Darling... how about you look after your creatures while we're busy here?"

"Eh, alright." Newt frowned but as so often in the past weeks did as she bid him to do  and turned to leave. He seemed a little disappointed having to leave his son behind while he was sent away... until he suddenly froze and slapped a hand to his forehead. "Oh, _Merlin's beard_!" he exclaimed and hurried from the room.

Tina couldn't help the chuckle at Mable's curious tone of voice. "What was that about now?"

Tina fondly shook her head and grinned. "He's been so entranced with this little creature here that he forgot about all the other creatures in his care this morning." 

 

* * *

 

Just as Newt had finished up inside the suitcase a well-known chirping rant could be heard from the worktop. Newt turned around to find Pickett waiting near the ladder up into the real world... and the Bowtruckle didn't look very happy with him. For a good reason, he knew.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry," Newt tried to placate the little creature and offered him his hand to climb on so they could talk face to face. "There's a good reason why I've been a little negligent these past days though."

He couldn't help a smile at the thought of the little bundle of joy waiting upstairs. The responding warble from his friend did not sound very convinced though as he continued his rant. But Newt only kept smiling and let him voice his disapproval of the situation... being locked in the case with everyone else while his home-tree was off doing Merlin knew what.

"You don't believe me, hm?" The Bowtruckle crossed his arms in a gesture of defiance entirely too human. It might just be time to make a first introduction then.

"Well then. I think you should meet someone today." Pickett's expression became cautiously curious, just as he thought it would. "You'll be the first to meet him from down here actually... and the only one for a few more days at least I should think." He knew Tina would object heavily to Doran being brought down here just now... In fact, she would probably object to any creature apart from Pickett or Dougal around their newborn for a long while to come. As predicted Tina was a fiercely protective mother.

The Bowtruckle on his hand had cheered up a little by now... special treatment over the others always worked wonders on Pickett's mood he knew. As he had told his father many months ago: every creature has it's weakness.

"So I need you to be on your best behaviour, alright?" His little friend nodded. "Good. Let's show you why I haven't been down here as much as I should have been, hm? On you hop." Newt put the leafy creature up onto his shoulder and made his way out of the case, which had been placed in a room across the corridor.

"Now, you know that Tina and I have been expecting," he explained as he closed the battered lid behind himself. "Well... we're not expecting anymore now."

He crossed the hallway and knocked on the door before entering his old bedroom. The midwife had gone by now and Tina sat in bed with the baby in her arms. The little one had fallen asleep again after his meal it seemed. A common occurrance and nothing to be worried about. She looked up at him as he stood in the doorway and raised an eyebrow in question. "Won't you come in?"

"Do you mind the company I bring?" Newt asked, gesturing towards Pickett. "I can't keep him locked in the case forever... and he was rather displeased with me just now."

Tina chuckled softly. "Course not. I'm surprised you managed to keep him down there for three whole days actually. How's everyone? How's Dougal?"

He finally entered the room and softly closed the door behind him. "He's excited but patiently waiting to see you and keeping an eye on everyone down in the case in the meantime. They're all fine down there."

Pickett still perched on his shoulder as Newt sat down next to Tina and chirped in surprise when he noticed the newborn in her arms. He immediately climbed down his arm to take a closer look.

"Careful now, Pick. Remember, your best behaviour," he instructed as the Bowtruckle had reached his hand and Newt brought him a little closer. "This is our son, Doran."

The Bowtruckle leaned forward to inspect the new arrival curiously.

"He's only three days old and still sleeps rather a lot," Tina explained in a soft voice, "but if he's anything like his father you two might just become fast friends in the future."

Newt smiled. He could only hope that was true... he'd quite enjoy sharing his love for magical creatures with his son. Pickett actually looked up at them for permission before he slowly extended a leafy arm and caressed the pink face peeking out from the blanket their child was comfortably wrapped in for warmth. He chirped in awe and carefully climbed from Newt's hand onto the baby's little arm.

"Seems that he has less trouble accepting Doran than he did with you, love."

"Only because I laid the groundwork already," she quipped in return. "But then again, who wouldn't welcome a cute little baby like our Mooncalf here into the family?"

Newt chuckled and felt a well-known warmth bloom inside his chest at the sight in front of him. All that he loved in one place... Tina's smile as she looked down at their child spoke volumes as well. She was just as much in love with their child as he was. Only three days old and Doran had both of them practically wrapped around his little fingers. Could that possibly be a first sign of magical abilities? Probably not. According to Jacob that was a particular kind of magic all babies wielded.

 

* * *

 

In the days following their son's birth a lot had to be learned by the new parents and a lot had to be planned, too. Their son would have a bris, the traditional circumcision ceremony to welcome a newborn boy into the Jewish faith. Thankfully they had Queenie to help them, herself having been through the procedures already after the birth of Sammy. Messages to their rabbi and the chosen mohel were sent, a few trusted guests officially informed of the date. Gracia and Queenie happily took over planning the celebratory meal that would follow after the ceremony itself, leaving Mewt and Tina with as much family bonding time as possible. 

The bris took place on the morning of Sunday the 26th of November, on the eighth day after the child's birth. It was a very small affair at the Manor since apart from their families only few other guests had been asked to come. Neither Newt nor Tina could boast extensive circles of friends or acquiantences... and certainly not many people they would feel the need to have at their son's bris. Percival Graves was one of the few of course, as well as two wizarding families that they had befriended at the shul in London: the Jordans and the Goldsteins.

The Goldsteins had been introduced to them by the rabbi himself, though it turned out they were of no close relation to Tina's family after all. Still, being of a similar age they had become well acquianted in the past years. Mrs. Jordan was an elderly witch that had taken Queenie and Tina under her wing in the beginning, making introductions at the shul and getting them involved. Her husband Levi was just as much a good and kind man who had been given the honour of being sandek today, the person to hold their son as the procedure itself was performed. 

Newt had been more than glad to hear that _that_ would be left in the practised hands of a mohel. His only duties were to take Doran from his parent's hands as they carried his son into the room and place him in Levi's lap, then stand by and witness... which, it turned out, was the hardest part by far. But Newt stoically endured it even if every part in him screamed to keep his son away from those surgical instruments. He was also more than glad to know Doran would not remember any of this at a later time. 

He and Tina both recited a blessing when the circumcision was done before the mohel continued to officially give their son his name: Doran Nathanael Scamander. One after Tina's father, the other... to honour the (very) distant Irish side of his mother's family just as much as for it's meaning. A little Stranger indeed. He never would have thought for Tina to actually approve his proposal.

And then they celebrated with a large festive meal.

 

It was some time in the afternoon, after the last of their guests had left, that Newt and Tina returned home as well – their actual home which Tina hadn't seen in over three weeks now. Newt carried both their cases and a number of presents they had been given today, while Tina cradled Doran protectively in her arms. Precious, beloved cargo to both of them. 

Both sighed deeply in relief as they finally stepped into their kitchen, having missed the cosy comfort and quiet of their own little house. It was he first time in eight days they were entirely alone with their little Mooncalf. Just the three of them. Their little family. It was a wonderful and terrifying thought at once... but help was only a Floo away should they ever need it.

Their son had been a little shaken from the earlier events, but was sleeping soundly now as he had through most of the celbrations following. Newt sent their cases up ahead into their bedroom and then helped Tina out of her coat before they too made their way upstairs.

They all rested on the bed together, tired and exhausted from hours of entertaining guests while severly lacking sleep. Tina carefully held their son close as Newt snuggled up against her back. He sighed in contentment, one arm draped over her waist and holding on to Doran's small stockinged feet as he propped his head up with the other... to look at his little family.

"It's good to be home again."

Tina hummed in agreement. "It is."

Now the real adventure would start.

 

* * *

 

"Newt?" Tina was frowning at him when he entered the nursery where she had been changing Doran's nappies. And it was not the good kind of frown. "I know you did not like to see him 'hurt' yesterday but... it was supposed to heal naturally."

Now it was his time to frown. "What are you talking about?" 

His wife gestured down at their son. "The cut, Newt. It's completely healed!"

Newt stepped next to her and took a look himself. She was right, the circumcision wound underneath the dressing from yesterday's ceremony was gone. "That wasn't me, Tina. I wouldn't do that after you explicitly told me not to infere."

Her frown changed into one of confusion. "But then who? Did your parents-?"

He shook his head. "No, you know the wound was still there last night after we got back home. It's only been the two of us with him since then." He paused for a moment as a thought occured to him. It didn't happen often at such a young age but... it was the only explanation he could see. A small smile appeared on his face that slowly but surely widened into a grin. "I think our Doran might make a good healer one day."

Tina couldn't help but gape at him. "You mean-?"

He nodded. "He must have done it himself... I don't see any other explanation, because it really wasn't me. And obviously not you." A show of magical abilities at only nine days old then. 

Tina chuckled and leaned against his shoulder. "So there's going to be a letter from Hogwarts then."

Newt shrugged but couldn't help the excited grin as he wrapped an arm around her waist. "We should continue keeping an eye on him but right now I'd say so, yes." It would still be another eleven years and then some before that letter arrived... in the summer of 1945. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter marks the end of Part 1 of _The Adventure of a Lifetime_. Thank you all so much for reading and leaving me comments!  
>  As I already announced in the previous chapter's note, the story will continue soon here in this very place. I'm eagerly working on Part 2 already and hope to start posting at some point in late August.


	10. Part 2: A State of Exhaustion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And as promised I'm back to regular updates, folks! The muse has somewhat returned over the summer and I've got the next four chapters written with three more outlined and partly written, too. Go, me! 
> 
> Please let me warn you, this chapter is not at all a cute and happy one... we're sliding deeper into the angsty territory for the next three chapters. I had not planned for this to happen, but it's what my muse demanded and who am I to deny her? 
> 
> Please leave a comment and tell me how you liked it? I feel a little rusty in my writing to be honest...

There came a loud noise from across the hall, a flash of flame followed by a distinct, ladylike cough. One belonging to Queenie Kowalski. Tina sat up a little straighter in the comfortably stuffed armchair and rubbed a hand across her tired eyes as the other held a slumbering Doran securely against her chest. Was it that late already then? 

"It's barely past two, Teen." Her sister's chipper voice drifted over from the doorway to the living room. "Jacob sold out early today so he's taken the little ones of my hands a bit earlier too. Hey you!"

"Hey sis." She managed a tired smile at the blonde. Queenie had been visiting her regularly ever since the little family of three had moved back to the cottage in Dorset, to keep her company and help out wherever was neccessary. Tina appreciated it very much.

The blonde stepped around the little moses basket standing near the sofa and greeted her with a light hug and a kiss to the cheek. "So... how are things today?"

Tina took a quick look around her mess of a living room and closed her eyes with a sigh. "Don't ask." Between caring for a newborn baby and the changes her body was still going through after the birth there was little time or engergy left for anything but the absolute bare neccessities... around the house as well as for herself. And it was starting to show.

"It's oky, honey," Queenie chuckled in response to her train of thought. "You know I've been there too. Being a mother is a fulltime job, 'specially when they're this young."

Tina hummed in acknowledgement, followed by a deep and lengthy yawn. As her chest expanded her baby made series of small displeased noises in response to the movement underneath him. "Shh, it's alright," she spoke gently and rubbed soothingly over his back, tucked tightly into a warm blanket for comfort. "You're safe, Doran. Mummy's just tired." 

Queenie watched on with a concerned frown on her face. "Yeah. You need sleep, Teen."

"You don't say." Her reply did not come across half as snarky as she had intended it to be. She was just too tired to put more bite into it. At three weeks old Doran slept for the majority of the day... just never long enough for her to get a decent kind of rest as well. "I try to nap whenever possible but... at the smallest sound or movement I'm awake again. And I can't stop worrying something will happen to my baby while I'm sleeping."

A smile flitted over her sister's face as she nodded. "Yeah, I know what that's like. You shouldn't forget taking care of yourself too though, you know?"

She answered that with a noncommital sound. Of course she needed to keep herself focussed and healthy enough to care for her baby. But she was usually alone in this for the better part of the day, so how could she take any amount of time for herself? That just wasn't possible... even if it was, sleep took priority over just about anything else.

"That's why I'm here, honey. And that's why Gracia comes by, too."

"I know... but I feel like a terrible mother whenever I'm handing him over to any of you just so I can get some time for myself." 

She shifted Doran more securely into her arms before getting up and walking around the room. Any form of steady movement seemed to calm and settle her little Mooncalf, usually lulling him back to sleep too. And Tina was more than glad he was nearly asleep right now. A lengthy crying fit earlier had left her in tears when she had failed to find a way to comfort him. Inapt mother that she was, they had cried together until Doran had finally dropped into a doze. 

"Hogwash! You're not a terrible mother, Teenie," her sister insisted after reading her poorly veiled thoughts and came to hug her again. "We all got our troubles in the beginning, you know. Figuring out what makes the little guy happy and what doesn't isn't always easy. And you're doing great with Doran!"

"Am I?" she wondered, unable to hide her doubts. "I let my three week old baby cry himself to exhaustion today because I didn't know what to do anymore." It had been horrible.

"It was way harder on you than on him. Little Doran here won't remember any of this yet." She playfully squeezed the heavily stockinged foot peeking out from underneath the baby blanket. "And believe me, Teenie, it's completely normal to feel like that in the early weeks. I've been through it twice. With Ruth now it was a bit easier but with Sammy... I often felt so helpless I wanted to cry. Did cry, too. But this feeling overwhelmed stopped after a few weeks, once you've gotten used to one another. It _will_ pass."

Tina wasn't so sure about that... right now it felt as though this would be her life for the foreseeable future. Locked away at home with a crying baby to look after, able to rest herself for a bit only when _his_ needs were completely catered to. She had known that caring for her son would be demanding, but she hadn't envisioned it to be quite so... isolating. Lately her only contact with the outside world were the second-hand tales of her few visitors, and the _Daily Prophet_ when she could muster the energy to actually read the paper for a bit.

Her sister's smile was mixed with a heavy look of understanding. "You'll forget all about it once you see him smile at you. How about I'll go and whip up some lunch for the both of us? You need to eat, Teen. And after that I'm gonna watch Doran so you can go and have that nap you want. Things will look better once you've had a bit of rest."

Her sister had already vanished into the kitchen by the time the last words reached her, leaving Tina no choice but to comply. She was much too tired to put up resistance anyway. And a nap did sound heavenly...

Deep blue eyes blinked up at her searchingly as the small body in her arms began to wake from slumber again. Tina carefully made her way back to the couch and sat down as Queenie began rummaging through her kitchen. Her motherly duties were calling, it seemed. 

 

Tina woke up from her much needed nap to a pitch-dark bedroom. She had foregone drawing the curtains after her quick bath, knowing she would quickly fall asleep even with the dull light of a December afternoon coming through the windows. She had nearly nodded off in the bathtub already if it hadn't been for an attentive Queenie knocking on the door just in time. New feeling considerably more alert and refreshed than earlier she slipped from between the sheets and made her way back down to the living room again, ready to take on another turn with her son.

Unsurprisingly, Tina found the previously chaotic house now tidy and spotless on her way down. Laundry and linnens were sitting clean and folded in a basket at the bottom of the stairs. And a familiar blue coat hung from the rack in the corner. Newt had come home then, which would explain the lovely smell of dinner reaching her nose. Smiling brightly she turned right at the bottom of the stairs, expecting to find her husband. But it was Queenie, still sitting in the armchair she had occupied just a few hours earlier, letting a lively Doran grip and suck at her pinky finger.

"Good mornin', sleepyhead," she was greeted with a grin.

This time she didn't need to force herself to return the smile. "Hey. Thank you, for taking care of things around here..." She waved a hand around the room. Even her mess of a living room was cleaned up again.

"Shush, no need for that. You did the same for me not too long ago."

Tina chuckled. "You know I only did that because I couldn't stand such a mess. I thought that was just you being more lazy than usual but now that I'm here myself... I probably shouldn't have chided you so much for it."

Queenie giggled. "You're all forgiven, honey. I hope you don't mind but I already fed Doran when he got hungry about half an hour ago. Newt showed me where you keep the bottled milk in stasis."

She didn't mind in the slightest. "Speaking off... where is he?"

Queenie nodded her head in the direction of the backrooms. "Down in his suitcase, feeding and watering the other bunch of babies you got. He'll be back up in time for dinner though. I made you some of that pumpkin soup you love so much."

Tina couldn't help the excited grin. Having Queenie over was always something to look forward to.

Once Doran had safely been transferred back into his mother's arms Queenie said her goodbyes and flooed back to Godric's Hollow. She had stayed much longer than she usually did today, all for the sake of giving her some time to get back on her feet. Back at home her own family was waiting to be treated to a delicious meal as well, no doubt. She couldn't help but feel a little envious of her sister. She was so much better handling everything... doing the laundry and other household chores, tidying up and cooking dinner, all while watching over a newborn baby that was not even her own. And Doran didn't even fidget as much in her sister's arms as he did with her. And she knew just how to keep him from crying, too. But then again, between the two of them Queenie always had been the one with the stronger nurturing instincts... of course she would do better. 

"Good evening, love." Lost in her thoughts she hadn't heard Newt returning from his work room. Smiling he sat down next to her on the couch and greeted both her and the little one with a kiss before pulling her close into his arms. "How was your nap?" 

Tina chuckled and leaned into him, happy to have her husband back from work. "Quite refreshing."

A chuckle rumbled deep in his chest. "So, you won't fall asleep at dinner again? Perfect."

 

* * *

 

She sighed deeply as her body hit the couch in the living room, hoping against hope to find some rest. 

In his little baby basket not far away Doran was asleep after once again wailing unhappily for what had felt like days but really had only been an hour or two... for no reason that she could make out. He had been fed, he had been changed, he had just woken up from a nap and had then spent the better part of the afternoon in his mummy's arms as she tried to comfort him with cuddles and kisses and soothing movements... For all she knew her son should have been as happy as a baby of five weeks could be. But he wasn't. And Tina had had no idea what to do anymore. Even Queenie's suggestion to putting a try a hot-water bag on his tummy hadn't worked this time. 

But as unexpectedly as Doran had started his cying he had stopped again as well, leaving her confused and terrified by the sudden silence somehow ringing even more loudly in her ears than the wails before that. Her baby was still alive and breathing though, squirming just a little in her hold before nodding off into a slumber. The crying had exhausted him. It always did.

Tina watched the teary-faced baby sleeping in the crook of her arm for a few minutes to make absolutely sure he was only asleep and kept on breathing... before finally allowing herself to let go of him for a little while. He would be fine lying in his moses basket. He _would_ be. 

She was herself not close to, but already way past tears by then. From feeling so helpless as her baby kept crying, from frustration about her own inabilities as a mother... from the sheer exhaustion that permeated every part of her mind and body. This was not something she had been told about motherhood, not something she had expected. The lack of sleep – yes, that she had known and prepared herself for. The utter desperation in face of her baby feeling miserable and crying out for her to make it better? That not so much. At all, in fact. She had rarely felt so helpless.

Up until very recently Tina Scamander had fancied herself a problem solver... there was no situation in which her quick mind could not come up with a possible solution, a way to solve whatever obstacle she had been faced with. But with no way to actually communicate with Doran yet it was impossible to find out just how to help him when all common ailments had been ruled out, all her little tricks unsuccessful in comforting him. She should know though... as his mother she should know what her little boy needed.

Tina took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying hard to push those thoughts aside. They had been plaguing her more and more often lately, ever since these apparently unprovoked fits of crying had started. A sense of helplessness, of cluelessness. Would these feeling ever really go away?

Tina shook her head and sighed again. Instead of brooding she should try to get a bit of much needed rest now. One thing she had learned fairly quickly after birth was to just try and sleep whenever the baby did. Otherwise there would not be much rest at all for her with the constant care a newborn needed... especially the nursing at all hours of day and night. Soon after returning back to their cottage Newt had started to take over the nightly feedings for her with the help of some bottled breast milk, but that didn't stop her from waking anyway every time Doran made his needs known... the cradle was sitting in the corner of their bedroom after all. Her son was just over five weeks old now, which meant that she hadn't had a proper amount of sleep in over five weeks. But even though she craved it deeply, sleep often just wouldn't come.

Doran had the incredible ability to nod off within mere seconds when tired and lately Tina envied him deeply for it. She just couldn't get her mind to quiet down for long enough. There was an ever present nagging voice reminding her of things that needed doing around the house, things she should do herself instead of relying on others to do them for her. And a neverending list of childcare questions in need of answering. She had read every book she could get her hands on by now, but on many points they either disagreed, provided the most ridiculous answers or drew a complete blank... And how was she supposed to get better at being a mother if she didn't have the proper knowledge to work with?

There she was again, wrapped up in her stressful brooding. Would it ever feel any different than this? Would that horrific state of mental pressure ever go away? 

 

She had just calmed that nagging voice inside her head for long enough to fall into a light doze when the whooshing sound of Floo Powder startled her back to full consciousness.

The old clock on the mantle told her that it was half past six in the evening. Newt had returned from work. She listened to him bustle about the house in his usual much too chipper fashion, humming softly to himself as he hung up his heavy coat in the hallway, then secured the suitcase in his work room at the back of the house. The humming stopped as he returned to lean in the doorway of the living room and watched her with an apologetic smile on his lips. "I'm so sorry. Did I wake you, love?"

"Yeah, you did." Tina yawned and rubbed her face. "Not that I was getting a good rest anyway."

His expression changed to one resembling pity as he stepped into the room and crouched next to her.... and Tina did not much like it. She accepted the kiss to her forehead anyway.

"You look like you haven't gotten a decent rest all week, Tina. Go to bed, I'll take over from here." He turned for a short moment to gaze over his shoulder. "Doran is sleeping?"

"Uh huh." Newt smiled and moved over to the basket she had placed on the armchair across from her. His expression softened and brightened as he made to take his son out of it. "No. Please don't pick him up," she begged him. 

His brow furrowed in confusion as he turned back to look at her. "But... why not? I haven't seen him all day."

"I know, but it will wake him." She sat up with a long suffering sigh. "He's been crying all afternoon and I was so relived he finally calmed down enough to sleep. It'll drive me crazy if he starts it up again."

There was that look of sympathy and pity again. Just a short moment before his gaze returned to their son. "My poor little Mooncalf," he whispered. "Something must've bothered you quite a bit today, hm?"

"Yeah. Something, anything." She rested her head in her palms and sighed. "Your guess is as good as mine, Newt. It was awful." 

Her husband returned to join her on the sofa and let his hand rest comfortingly between her shoulderblades. "I'm sure he's okay now... Doran doesn't usually cry that much and it's never without a reason, too."

No, not when Newt was home. She hadn't told her husband yet about the many times when there just seemed to be no way to stop Doran from crying and the only thing she could do was let him wail himself into sleep. Just as he had done today. And the day before. And the one before that. There was no reason to let Newt know yet just how bad of a mother she really was... not as long as there was still reasonable hope she could get better at her job. Find out what was to be done for him. But it had been over two weeks now... and her hope of that was slowly but surely dwindling. 

"And how would you know, Newt?" she bit out, suddenly angry. At herself. At him. She really couldn't say. "You're gone most of the day and come home to a calm or sleeping baby. So don't tell me how much he does or doesn't cry when you're not here."

Wide-eyed Newt made to answer her accusation but Tina didn't let him. She knew what he was going to say anyway. "And don't tell me about those nights when he's hungry and won't take the bottle. That is no comparison at all. _That_ at least has a reason, Newt. There is a way to calm him down again. But that's not always the case!" Her voice had grown louder as she vented at him. It actually felt good to get this off her chest. 

He regarded her for a few moments before shaking his head. "I'm sure he had a reason today too, love. Babies usually don't cry just for the fun of it, you see. It's their only way to get our attention."

Tina pinched her nose and huffed a disbelieving laugh before shaking her head. "Oh yes, I'm sure there is a reason for our son to be miserable more often than not. It's obvious, isn't it? I'm a bad mother." 

Newt sucked in a sharp breath at her words and stared up at her with wide eyes. "Tina, no. You're not a bad mother!" 

"Tell me that again when you're actually here for once!" She got up from the couch and started pacing, suddenly feeling too agitated to sit still. And the words just poured out of her. "You're not home when it happens. You've got a life outside of this... I don't. Not anymore. You have no idea how it feels when your life is suddenly taken over and run by someone else. It's only ever just me here. Yes, Queenie and your mother come to visit but that's not the same as having a life. They give some 'helpful advice' and make sure I'm not failing too much at my one and only job here before they leave me to it again. But it's just him and me. And I'm trying. I'm trying so hard but I don't know what I'm doing here, Newt! I don't know what to do. And it's... I can't eat even though I should. I don't get enough sleep, because I can't shut my mind off from worrying. It's exhausting. I'm so damn exhausted and tired of it all!"

" _Don't_ tell me about being exhausted, Tina!" he exclaimed loudly and much to her surprise. Newt never raised his voice unless he deemed it absolutely neccessary... and never before at her. His voice was a little calmer, but still quivering with something she couldn't make out when he continued. "I'm well aware of that! And I've taken over the nights so you can at least try to get some sleep done. I return from work to find our son happy and you tired to the bone most evenings... but I'm the one to get up at night when Doran needs us and make sure he's all cared for." 

She nodded. "I know. And I'm grateful for that, but-"

Doran chose that moment to make his state of wakefulness known and Tina shut her eyes in defeat at his loud and clearly unhappy wails. _Here we go again._ But Newt was with him before she could even force herself to close the distance to the baby bed.

"Hey. Hey there, little Mooncalf," he spoke and took the baby into his arms to sooth him. "Shhh, no need to cry. Mummy and Daddy were just being a little loud right now. It's alright. You're alright." 

Tina watched her husband with the baby. He gently bounced him up and down in his arms as a way to sooth him, talking in a soft and calming voice all the while. And it worked. Doran was quickly calming down to blubbering noises and gurgles. She had done the exact same thing just hours before... without success. Tears sprung from her eyes as she realised that Newt was a much better parent than she ever would be. A natural, unlike her. Her son didn't actually need her, did he? She seemed to lack the talent to properly care for her baby, to connect with him. Doran would probably be better off without her making him miserable.

"Tina?" Newt stood just a few paces away, watching her in shock as she quietly sobbed. She shook her head and turned away from him, unable to meet his eyes. _Keep it together, Tina!_ But it was too late for that, wasn't it? He'd seen her tears already. 

"Please, love. Look at me." But she couldn't. She didn't have the strength to turn back around and face him. Them. His hand touched her shoulder to try and comfort her. "I'm here, Tina. It's alright."

"No. It's not, Newt!" She rubbed at her eyes and took a deep, laboured breath. "I can't... I need to be alone right now. Please don't follow me."

And with that she rushed from the room, fumbling her way almost blindly up the stairs to hide away in the dark sanctuary of their bedroom. The tears were her only companion. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Tina! I kind of hated my muse for sending her down this road but nothing else would go... In my mind she would have trouble adjusting to motherhood, since it is rather different from what her life usually is like. And that trouble together with her stubbornness and refusal ask for help until all else fails... it screams for something like this to happen. Don't hate me please.  
> In case it wasn't clear, Tina is suffering a moderate to heavy (I think?) case of post-partum depression. And this is paired with Doran starting into what is called three-months colic, which is excessive crying in babies for no apparent reason. This usually (but not always) starts around two to four weeks after birth and can last up until three months, hence the name. Many theories have been proposed to explain why this is happening, but even nowadays there is no actual scientific explanation for it. 
> 
> Next chapter we'll have a bit of a talk. And Newt is having some one-on-one time with his son.


	11. Part 2: Late Night Conversations

It was the tender and full feeling in her breasts that woke Tina up. She had fallen asleep in their bedroom, after a long while of cathartic tears streaming down her face. She had cried herself to sleep in her misery. And in doing so she had skipped nursing her baby too... which was the reason she was growing more and more uncomfortable right now.

Tina sat up and took a look around the cool and darkened room. She was alone though, both the crib and the other half of the bed were empty and untouched. Either she hadn't slept for too long yet or Newt had given in to her demand to leave her alone... even if she had taken refuge in their bedroom. She worried her lip as she slipped from the bed. _I shouldn't have run from him like that._ But it was too late to change now. In that moment, all she had wanted was to not deal with it anymore. The stress, the guilt, the envy. The confusion over her own state of mind. A part of her knew she wasn't as okay as should be. As she wanted to be. But it was so hard coming to terms with this new stage of her life. A struggle she seemed to loose time and time again.

The house was dark and quiet around her as she ventured out into the hallway, eerily quiet in a way it hadn't been since before the birth of their son. Her whispered " _Lumos._ " brought a little light into the penetrating darkness though.

A peek into Doran's nursery revealed it to be empty. Slight panic rose up and fluttered inside her chest. _Where is my baby?_ It was only calmed by the knowledge that she had left him with his father... and Newt wouldn't let any harm come to their child. Next to the nursery, the smaller guest room with a spare bed was unoccupied as well. Newt had spent a few nights in there before. The nights when Doran had been particularly fussy and needy, so as to give her a better chance at finding some sleep. But he wasn't there now. Tina frowned.

Closing the door behind her she was struck by a numbing thought. _What if he has left?_ What if Newt had taken their son and just... gone away? She hurried back down the corridor and turned down the stairs, heart beating frantically. No, he wouldn't do that. Would he? A look into the cold and dark living room revealed the little baby basket to be gone though. Along with the satchel in the hallway that contained a number of baby neccessities to take out with them... for the few occasions they actually left their home. _No!_

She whirled back around to cross the hallway and make her way over into the kitchen, hoping against hope to find her family there... but of course the light of her wand revealed the room to be just as empty as the rest of the house.

"No! No no no. This can't be happening!" She staggered back whispering frantically to herself only to collide with a strong body hovering inside the doorway. In her shock the grip on her wand loosened and it clattered down on the tiled floor.

"Tina?" The voice sounded sleep roughened but very alert. Newt caught her by the arms before she could fall too. " _Merlin_ , are you alright?"

His familiar scent surrounded her immediately, partially calming her frantic mind and nerves. "Newt."

"Yes, it's me. What can't be happening?"

"Newt!" She clutched at his forearms, at his chest. "Where is Doran? I want to see my baby."

A second wand light sparked to live in front of her and illuminated his freckled face in ghostly blueish light. "Shh, calm down, love. He's down in the case, with Dougal looking after him." A wave of relief flooded through her at his words. "I just came up to get a bottle for him when I heard you shuffling around here."

Tina shook her head at him. "No need for that." Suddenly feeling the intense need to have and hold her son she pushed past her husband and in the dark found her way to the back of the house, to Newt's suitcase. Even though she despaired over him at times, she loved her little boy. Having him taken from her so cruelly would break her... 

There was more of a chaos down in the shed than usual she noted absently, but didn't dwell on it in her search for Doran. She found him in the bedroom, with Dougal watching over him protectively. The wide eyes in  his wise, friendly face blinked softly at her before the Demiguise retreated to the other side of the room and allowed her access. Her baby was sleeping peacefully in his little whicker basket right next to the bed, and Tina breathed a deep sigh of relief. They were both still with her.

Doran looked so sweet when he was sleeping... always moving and twitching a little in his slumber. Carefully she lifted the little one from his baby bed and cradled him in her arms. She rightened the small knit cap covering his head and trailed a finger over the soft skin of her baby's cheek. Even in his sleep his hand instinctively closed around her finger when she touched his little palm.

It didn't take long for his deep blue eyes to blink open though. "Hello there, my little Mooncalf." She smiled. "Mummy's here."

Dougal had faded from view by the time her baby was comfortably nursing, though his company was replaced by Newt's. He had joined them in the small room and finally sat down next to her on the bed after watching the two of them for a little while.

"Are you alright, Tina?" he asked, voice soft but tinged with a hint of worry. 

Tina thought on his question for a few moments, eyes resting on Doran's face as he suckled greedily. "Right now, yes," she said. Better than earlier at least... though she was far from alright in general, she knew depp down. 

Newt nodded and held out his open hand, the dark polished wood of her wand presenting a stark contrast to the light skin of his palm. "I thought you might like this back."

"Oh." In her hurry she hadn't even noticed she was without a wand. "Thanks," she mumbled and picked up. 

"I'm sorry for scaring you like that," he continued and rubbed a hand over his eyes. "You said to leave you alone, so we moved down here for the night but... I realise now that probably wasn't the smartest thing to do."

"It really wasn't." Tina took a deep and calming breath as she remembered her earlier panic. "I thought you had left... both of you." 

Newt shook his head. "No, I would never do that. I _could_ never do that, Tina. You are my life. Both of you." 

 

It was a while later, with their baby sound asleep again and safely returned into his basket, that Tina finally had eyes for her husband. Newt looked about as exhausted as she had felt earlier... an unusual amount of reddish stubble was growing on his face, dark shadows prominently displayed under his eyes and somehow his cheekbones seemed much more pronounced than usually.

"You look tired," she said, for lack of a better word. 

"It's two in the morning," Newt chuckled. "Of course I look tired."

Tina hummed in agreement. "You're right. We better go back to sleep while we have the chance."

She shifted up the bed and crawled under the tangled blankets, much lighter than the ones in their actual bed upstairs for lack of wintry cold down here in the case. It had been quite a while since she had last spend a night here... and she had almost forgotten how soothing it was to hear the constant low hum of creatures around them. Newt joined her after dimming the single lamp to a more acceptable lighting, pressing close against her back with his arm wrapped loosely around her waist. Tina snuggled back against him with a content sigh, ready to nod off again after the earlier excitement. 

"Tina... you're not happy," Newt stated carefully a while after they had settled in together.

"I get grumpy when I'm exhausted," she mumbled in reply. He knew that too well from long nights spent observing or tracking beasts in the field together.

"No. What I mean is you're not happy with... the situation. It's barely been six weeks and already you seem to resent me for leaving most mornings."

Tina sighed. So much for getting some sleep. "I don't resent you for it, Newt."

"I get it," he continued softly. "I do. Some days I'd love nothing more than to trade places with you, too, you know? Staying home, spending all day with our son... sounds heavenly to me, especially after a-" A lengthy yawn interrupted his words. "- after a fussy night. Or a rather sleepless one." 

She only gave a noncommittal sound in reply. There were some lovely moments,yes. But usually it was anything but heaven, she knew.

"Do you really think that I'm gone too much?" he asked after a short pause.

She hummed and nodded. "Too much for my liking at least. I'm alone all day during the week... and sometimes on the weekends, too." Whenever he was at work, in fact. He had kept his regular work hours from before, but only now that she had nowhere else to be she realized how much time he did actually spend away. And she didn't much like it. 

Newt tensed behind her. "I didn't intend to-" He didn't finish the sentence though, instead following it up with a whisper. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. One of us has to work." She heaved a sigh. "Some days I'd just really enjoy trading places with you... having some time for myself again. Away from all this. Some time to unwind..."

"No... you wouldn't," he replied.

"What do you mean?"

He took a very long moment to answer her. "I get to leave the house, but... do you know what my usual days look like?" he finally asked in return.

Tina wanted to nod... but thought better of it and shook her head instead. She hadn't seen much past her own daily duties in the last few weeks and realised she really didn't know anymore. Hers wasn't the only life affected by becoming a parent, after all. 

"I get up before 5 o'clock to look after all our creatures out there," he explained, waving a hand in the direction of the wooden wall seperating this bedroom from the other habitats. "And when that is done I take my time to make sure my family is all sorted, too. A bottle to feed Doran before you get up, breakfast to get you properly started for the day. Followed by quick look through our stocks and supplies to check if anything needs replenishing while I'm out. Then I head off to work. At least 9 hours at the Beast Division, often more. On a good day that means I get to sit at my desk and work on the new edition of my book... check on my creatures, have the occasional nap too. On the bad ones I need to head out to make sure Dragons or any other magical creature really does not wreak havok across the British Isles... or are harmed themselves by our fellow wizards. There are a lot of those not good days. I come home some time in the evening to spend a few short hours in the company my lovely but terribly exhausted wife... followed by a night of interrupted sleep at best as I make sure our son is looked after. And come morning, I get up again way before 5 o'clock to do the same for the beasts."

Tina slowly turned around in his arms and stared at him, stunned. "Newt, that's-"

"-not nearly as relaxing as it seemed? No." He tucked a loose strand ofher hair behind her ear. "This wasn't supposed to be about me, though. You're the one I'm worried about. What can I do to help, love?"

She contemplated his question, but chose to make it about him anyway instead of facing her own problems. She was an utter fool for failing to see his stress and immens workload before now, completely caught up in her own exhaustion and misery as she had been. She shook her head in confusion at his words though. "Since when do you consider handling beasts a 'bad day'? You love working with them." 

His chuckle seemed anything but actually amused and Newt didn't quite meet her eyes as he answered. "Since I have to rely on Girding Potion to get me safely through it."

"Girding Potion?" She frowned. _I heard that wrong, yes?_ That potion was a potent and potentially dangerous brew that kept a you up and running for hours or weeks, depeding on the used dosage. Newt usually didn't even indulge all that much in alcoholic drinks, surely he wouldn't...

He nodded. "Yes. Without it I'd have run myself ragged quite a while ago."

"But you can get addicted to that!"

"Don't worry." Something in her disbelieving gaze prompted him to explain further. "I've taken far worse substances before... during the war we were given them to keep us alert. There were no lingering effects from those though, so..." He shrugged. "I take the lowest effective dosage, half a tea spoon with my morning tea. Another one when I get a call late in the day, just to be safe. The last thing either of us needs is me getting caught in venomous fangs or Dragon's flame because I'm too exhausted to do my job."

Her hand cradled his unshaved cheek as she took his face in. Now that she knew, the signs of his exhaustion were blatantly obvious. He was much paler than usual, freckles contrasting with the non too healthy look of his skin. Dark shadows were prominent underneath his eyes, that did not shine as enegetically blue-green as she was used to. "Why didn't you say something?"

Newt raised an eyebrow in question. "Why didn't you?"

"What?"

He fondly rolled his eyes at her. "You said you don't eat as you should. You can't properly sleep for worry even though you're exhausted. You spent an hour crying in the bedroom just earlier this night. Please don't tell me you're fine because you're obviously not." He blinked and swallowed heavily before continuing with raw voice. "I'm not as good a husband and father as I thought I was... otherwise I'd have realised it sooner."

Tina took a deep breath to quell the tears that were threatening to fall. She had tried her best to keep it from him, believing it would go back to normal soon and by itself. "I didn't want you to worry, darling," she explained. "Queenie said it was normal to feel so... so... overwhelmed." That word didn't do it justice, but it would have to do for now. "She said it would go away on its own."

"But it didn't?"

"Not yet." She sighed in defeat. "Maybe not ever."

Newt cupped her cheek. "Tina, do you... regret becoming a mother?" His voice shook, betraying the state of his emotions even as he tried to stay calm for her sake. 

"No. I love our son, I really do. It's just that... I want to be a good mother for him so badly... and then there's times when I'm just at my wit's end and I've no idea what to do, or no strength to keep on doing it." She swallowed heavily. "And everyone else seems to be so much better at this then me. You, Queenie, your mother. Even Dougal could better take care of our son than I do..."

Newt shook his head. "I don't think that's the case. He has a gift for nurturing alright, but he could never replace you. I'd never let that happen."

"Maybe you should."

"No, I shouldn't," he insisted. "You managed to keep Doran alive and healthy for almost six weeks now. And yes, that was mostly you. He's growing and developing just as he should and there's really no reason to think you're doing a bad job of it."

 _Isn't there?_ She heard his words, but they didn't much help. In her mind she knew he was wrong, despite any facts he could mention. "Most of the time I don't know what I'm doing... but I should know, shouldn't I? I'm so helpless when he won't stop crying. Helpless and clueless. That is what I hate the most, the not knowing."

Newt used his thumb to brush away a lone tear from the corner of her eye. "I don't know what I'm doing either, if we're being honest. You know I've never been this much around a human baby before... so I'm still learning as well. But that is what instincts are for."

Tina sniffled. "Well, my instincts tell me I'm doing a bad job of it."

"As they did with Tessa?"

Tina frowned in confusion. Tessa was a Thestral foal they had rescued and nursed to health a few years ago. "I didn't-"

Newt smiled. "No, you didn't. But you thought you were doing a miserable job looking after her since she was always crying and shrieking. And then it turned out she had grown so attached to you she wouldn't let anyone else care for her anymore."

In fact, during the curative treatment the Thestral had become so attached she stubbornly refused to leave Tina's side, desperately shrieking for her whenever Tina was not around. For the other creature's sakes she had grudgingly resolved to remain down in the suitcase with the foal until Newt had found a herd of Thestrals they could to try and settle Tessa with. But this was a different situation altogether. "Doran is no hurt Thestral foal, Newt."

"No, but he's just as much in need of your mothering skills." He moved closer and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Right now you feel overwhelmed and unsure when it comes to parenting. So do I, love. But our little Mooncalf doesn't exactly communicate much yet. I'm quite sure it will get easier the more he develops and grows."

She sniffled again. "I hope so. I don't think I could take years of... this."

"I know so," Newt stated confidently. "You are good at taking care of others, Tina. Even if you don't see it so yourself. They always say the first months are the hardest as a parent and I think now we have an idea why. It's not just the sleep we're missing out on... But it's something we can work on. Together. Alright?"

She nodded. Together sounded good. Together meant she wasn't alone in it.

 

* * *

 

Even after Tina had fallen asleep wrapped in his arms Newt still lay awake. Thoughts about what could done to help her kept him up... until Doran came awake again not an hour after Tina had nodded off. Careful to let her get the rest she still needed, he took the baby and moved into the other room, sealing the door behind him with a sound muffling charm.

Father and son settled into the old and worn-out armchair in the corner of his working room in the shed. The baby gurgled und hiccuped quite a bit and fidgeted with far too much engergy for Newt's liking while lying cushioned in his lap.

"Well, you can't be hungry again," he murmured in confusion. There was no need for a nappy change either yet. "So why are you up now?" Big blue eyes stared back at him, entirely uncomprehending. "Never mind. You're just taking the whole Mooncalf thing a bit too serious, aren't you?"

A series of gurgles came in reply and Newt nodded. "I see. Good to know at least one of us has had some sleep and is now well rested... Merlin knows it's not me."

It took well over two hours to get his son into a somewhat sleepy state again... or at least drowsy enough to be likely to fall asleep again once put back into the small whicker basket they used as a transportable baby bed. Newt spend that time mostly talking nonsense at Doran, and narrating the better parts of his day to him.

To keep himself from nodding off with the boy in his arms he took Doran on his very first tour around the suitcase. Walking kept the tired father awake enough at night while carrying the little one close to his body seemed quite enjoyable to the baby. He used a makeshift sling of cloth for it, strapping the baby securely to his chest just as he had seen some natives do on his travels. It was a surprisingly comfortable method of transport, he found. 

"And here we are," he announced as the rocky formation of a certain habitat rose up in front of him. "Little Mooncalf, meet the actual Mooncalves." Doran looked quite desinterested though as Newt showed him the Mooncalf habitat. Probably because at a mere five and a half weeks old he still couldn't see that far from his nose. But there wasn't much to see anyway with the habitat still being drenched in artifical evening sunlight. The beasts wouldn't come out until later, when the sun was set here as it dawned in the rest of the suitcase.

Which wouldn't be too long now, he realised with a heavy sigh. Between Tina and Doran he had stayed up all night. _We really should start thinking about a way to get him on a more human day-night-rhythm soon._ He was just a baby and didn't know any difference between night and day yet, but for their own sakes... It was a good thing that tomorrow – no, today – was a Sunday, and Christmas Eve, too. He would not have to go to the Ministry, thank Merlin!

Newt had the week between Christmas and New Year's off from work. He needed the break desperately, to get some much needed rest as well as to spend time with his family. It hadn't needed Tina breaking down in front of him to remember how much time he did spend away from them, missing out on being a father and supporting his wife. And who bore most of the burden instead.

He felt terrible not having seen her struggle before. But knowing her, she had probably done her best to hide it from him too. She didn't like showing weakness, admitting to needing help or time off. His Tina was stubborn like that. _I need figure out a way to help her... without ruffling her feathers much more than neccessary._ It wouldn't be easy, but something had to be done. And soon. He had left her alone with her troubles for far too long already.

"Do you happen to have any ideas, Doran?" he wondered, but the boy had settled back into a light slumber as Newt had been lost in his thoughts. Newt smiled and watched him for a few more moments before making his way back to the shed, careful not to wake his precious cargo. 

 

At last with the baby settled safely into bed, Newt Scamander debated with himself whether to start feeding and watering his creatures a little earlier today... or to try and get a bit of rest in before he had to get up again. Undecided he remained rooted to the spot between bed and door, weighing his options. In her sleep Tina turned around under the cozy blankets and sighed softly into her pillow once she had settled again, arms curled underneath her head.

And so the bed won out. Around half past four in the morning the family of three was deeply slumbering in the small bedroom of the shed... a room that had never been intended to hold so many people.

That morning the creatures of the suitcase had to wait three hours longer than usual for someone to take care of them.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, a horrible day finally comes to an end for the Scamanders... they truly deserved a bit of rest together.  
> Next up: Newt puts his week off from work to good use. There's more talking still to come. 
> 
> I mentioned it being the morning of Christmas Eve in this chapter, which for 1933 means Chanukah ended just a few days before. With a quite young baby around I imagine those wintry celebrations in the Scamander house being a bit more restrained than usual. I can't see Tina doing much more than lighting the menora in her current state, though of course Queenie insisted on them visiting Godric's Hollow at least once for a proper feast during those eight days. And Christmas wouldn't be much celebrated by Newt either apart from their usual visit and dinner with his family... which is why neither will be described beyond this little note ;)


	12. Part 2: A Much Needed Break

An excited grandmother Gracia had more than happily agreed to take Doran off their hands for a while. Newt had suggested this cautiously to Tina, leading with the argument that it would give them both a bit of much needed time for themselves... alone just as much as for the two of them together. She hadn't argued much before agreeing to his idea, though the actual farewell after the Christmas Day celebrations at Scamander Manor was a long and misty-eyed one... for both of them.

But in the end they flooed back to Fishpond Bottom alone. The quiet of the house and the ability to do as they liked felt a little unnatural that evening after so many weeks of baby-induced stress, but after a long solitary bath (for Tina) and an hour of just sitting and dozing in an armchair (for Newt) they both found themselves drawn to their bedroom, to their comfortable  bed. Both were fast asleep the moment their heads touched the pillow.

 

They woke cuddled closely together after their first uninterrupted night of sleep. Newt, as usual awake before his Tina, absolutely revelled in the fact that they wouldn't have to get up anytime soon yet. A simple lie-in was a luxury they hadn't been able to treat themselves to in a very long time.

"Good morning," he whispered as his lovely wife finally blinked awake next to him. He snuggled a little closer.

"Mornin'," she replied with a content sigh and leaned further into him as well. 

"Did you sleep well?" He himself had slept like the dead. A combination of exhaustion, no need for nightly vigilance for once and the beginning withdrawal from Girding Potion in the past days had seen to that. Now he felt quite alive though... and very much rested. 

Tina smiled. "Yes, though I did wake a few times. It was strange, not hearing anything from over there." She nodded towards the empty cradle in the corner of the room. "All I could hear was you snoring."

Newt chuckled. "Nothing too bad I hope."

"I've heard worse from you." She grinned at him. "So, what are your plans for the day? I guess you'll be spending a lot of it with the beasts."

He shook his head while gently cupping her cheek with his hand. "No, my love. Not more than usual at least. This is supposed to be some long overdue time just for us. As a couple."

"Oh." He felt her tense slightly against him as her gaze dropped to his shoulder. "Uhm..." 

It took him a few seconds to catch on to her sudden change in mood. "Oh, Tina. No." He gently tucked one of her many loose strands of hair behind her ear. "I hadn't planned on ravishing you if that's what you're dreading." There had been thoughts about the possibility of course... but her reaction just now told him all he needed to know in that regard. 

"Sorry," she whispered. "I'm just... Not yet."

"No, not yet." And he didn't mind. Anything else would have been quite surprising to him in fact. "But-" He paused for a moment, causing her gaze to finally meet his again. "- I hope some kissing might be agreeable to you?" 

Tina actually giggled in answer to his hopeful expression, a sound that made his heart soar after the past few days. "Of course it is," she replied. Her next words were stifled by Newt's lips pressing softly against hers... and were soon forgotten entirely between sleepy smiles and sweet kisses as early morning turned into a late one.

Around midday the Scamanders finally found themselves able to get up and start the day. Newt treated them both to a simple but hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs and buttered toast. It was there at table in the kitchen that Newt finally dared to breach the subject of Tina's perceived shortcomings... and what he could do to make her feel less alone with her troubles.

"I don't think there's much you can actually do," she admitted after staring out of the window for a while, "apart from being there yourself. Which we both know isn't gonna happen."

Newt nodded slowly. He had expected to hear something like this since his recent late night broodings had come to similar conclusions. "It could though," he offered in reply, causing her gaze to meet his once again. "If you really need me, I will be there for you. You just have to tell me when."

Tina bit her lip and shook her head. "I can't send you an owl to come home every time I'm out of my depth! You've got your job to think of too."

No, she probably shouldn't send an owl. Those messages took way too long to reach their recipients in the lower levels of the Ministry anyway. But there could be another solution to that particular problem, a tried and tested way for them to communicate.

"I have an idea," Newt said and squeezed her hand across the table before getting up. "I'll be back in a moment."

Back in the workroom he threw open the suitcase and climbed down the ladder. Despite the utter chaos down here he didn't have to search long to find what he was looking for. From a wooden box high on a shelf near the bedroom door he produced the two notebooks he had enchanted back in New York, nearly six years ago now. A short scribble revealed that the spellwork still held up. This would work. Newt climbed back up the ladder with a grin. One problem solved. 

In the kitchen Tina was still sipping on her morning tea at the table and once more staring out of the window into the snow-covered distance of Dorset. She turned her head to watch him when he returned, eyes falling immediately to the journals in his hand.

She smiled at him. "You kept them." 

"Of course I did." Newt resumed his seat across from her. "And they still work, too. So... maybe instead of an owl you can write a quick message in here?" He slid the more beautifully decorated copy of the two-way-journal across the table for her.

But Tina frowned. "And then what?"

"Well... depending on the situation we could either talk it over in writing or I'll try and come home."

"Mercy Lewis, Newt..." She sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I appreciate the thought but you can't leave the Ministry just because your wife is... unable to deal with motherhood."

His reply didn't need any thought. "Of course I can. And I will, Tina. We do have the occasional all-hands-on-deck emergency when it might take a bit longer, but... I'll be there. You know most days Gudgeon actually couldn't care less whether I'm at my desk or not. He's used to not having me around that much." And it was time to make use of that... 

Chief Dragon-Wrangler Edwin Gudgeon was his superior and leader of the Dragon Research and Restraint Bureau in the Beast Division, a somewhat rotund man in his early sixties whose days out in the field had been over for quite a while now. He was also one of the few people at the office who, before the success of his book, did not think him to be a complete nutter for his interests in Magizoology and indulged him in his many, not strictly neccessary investigative travels around the world. In other words: he would be more understanding than most.

"When the some other division needs me anyway you know that sending an owl here would be just as quick to notify me as the internal messages around the Ministry usually are."

Absentmindedly, Tina hummed in agreement. She knew just as well as him how slow official word around the Ministry of Magic could be... unlike the gossip it usually travelled at a snail's pace. Especially if sent between different departments. Newt noticed her still being sceptical though.

Her hand trailed across the patterned cover of the notebook as Tina seemed to think about his words. He brushed their fingers together before taking her hand into his own. "It's just something to try, love. I won't come running to take over the moment I get a message from you. But at least it would give you a chance to talk to me... or ask for a bit of support when you need it."

"I could talk to Queenie, though... or your mother. They come by the house anyway."

Newt couldn't help the smile tugging at his lips. _There's my stubborn Tina._ The one that had trouble accepting help even when offered freely. "But you haven't, have you? At least Queenie didn't know all of it until she saw it on my mind yesterday."

Tina gave a sigh of resignation and shook her head. 

"I know you like to be self-reliant, love, but some things can't be done alone. And if it gets too much I should be the first to help and support you, don't you think? We're partners after all."

She bit her lip before nodding slowly. Her fingers curled around the notebook under her hand. "Okay. I'll try and... write. But that's all I can promise you. To try."

Newt squeezed her hand in relieved thanks. "And that's all I'd dare to ask." 

 

His responsibilities brought Newt down into the case soon after their very late breakfast. Pickett and Dougal had already waited for him in the shed, the first starting to chirp and rant at him the moment he had sat food on the ladder while the latter was eagerly waiting for Tina to join them too, as she had done a few nights before. He was disappointed though as the case closed and Newt came down alone.

"Sorry, chap, Tina wants a bit of time by herself. Maybe later, hm?" The Demiguise looked longingly up to the top of the ladder one more time before resiging to the fact that his favourite human was once again not joining them. He remained close to the shed though as Newt, with Pickett perched atop his head, started on his rounds.

Returning from the Runespoor caves Newt found he was not alone anymore though. Tina was sitting on a crate out by the Nifflers' den with Suzi, the female Niffler she had rescued from a group of criminals a few years back, keeping her company. The creature was purring happily while Tina stroked and groomed her black fur into a captivating shine.

"I see she managed to wheedle you right back into it," he chuckled in greeting and settled onto a heap of thick ropes right next to her. Suzi lifted her head to muster him for a moment before settling back down again to enjoy Tina's ministrations. Ever since her rescue the female had always been more trusting towards Tina than himself, though she had accepted him as a caregiver as well by now. She was also far better behaved than her newly found mate had ever been...

"It's been way too long since I've spent time down here," she replied.

"Well, nothing much has changed really as you can see." No new additions to the small zoo since Tina had become too large to safely make it down the ladder... no departures either.

Tina's lips curled into a short smile as she shook her head. "Not in here, no. Everything else though..."

Newt didn't know what to say. She was right after all, a lot had changed in the past months... and for her even more than him. 

"Sorry, darling. I don't mean to sound so... glum." She ruffled the Niffler's head once last time before sending her scurrying back into her den. "I think she might be pregnant."

He nodded. "I suspected... she wouldn't let me get close enough to check, though."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

He shrugged. "I wanted to make sure first. And we both had other things on our mind, too."

Tina hummed. "Six to eight young in a litter, wasn't it?"

"Somewhere around that, yes," Newt agreed, smiling to himself. Even after years of living and in part working with her he still marvelled at it whenever Tina mentioned more detailed facts about magical creatures. He had a feeling that would never change. "In captivity the number tends to be a bit lower, though I'm not sure if we should consider ours living 'in captivity' here." Their Nifflers did have the entire suitcase to roam in after all and generally lived a life with only few restrictions down here.

"Poor girl," Tina continued, gazing into the glittering depths of the Niffler den where he heard one of the two shuffling around. "She's gonna have her hands full with that lot."

Talking from her own experiences as a mother... and those were quite likely to bring on thoughts of her own inadequacy in that role, too. Utter nonsense of course. Tina was wonderful with Doran and it never failed to fill him with inconceivable joy to see his wife with their child. He could only hope to do as good with his son as she did.

"I'm sure she'll manage," Newt answered carefully. "And her mate will help of course. It's what partners do... or should do at least."

She turned to look at him, brow furrowed slightly in question. "You're not talking about our Nifflers anymore, are you?"

"Well," he started and shrugged. "You and I are not that different from Nifflers in that regard, love. Creatures that seek a mate, build some form of family unit, raise their young together. Does that sound familiar?"

Her frown eased into a soft smile. "Thank you."

He couldn't say what warrented that kind of response. "What on earth for?" He had expected something more... 

She shrugged. "You know... Helping out. Being my partner. Doing this all by myself would have been far worse."

Her gaze drifted off into the distance for a moment as Newt tried to come up with a suitable answer. 'You're welcome' didn't seem like the right choice, after all he hadn't really been there for her so far. Not as much as she would have needed him to be anyway.

"I miss him," she whispered, snapping him from his guilt-filled thoughts. "It's ridiculous, but... I miss my baby."

Newt could only nod in agreement. "I do, too. And it's not ridiculous. The house is so quiet without him."

She shifted on her crate to move closer and lean her head against his shoulder. He smiled and tilted his head just so, resting his cheek against her dark hair as she welcomed his arm winding around her waist. "The first few hours without Doran were wonderful, but now... When did your parents say they'd bring him back?"

"Mother wanted to have a full day with her grandson, so they should be here some time before dinner." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Just a few more hours."

Tina hummed in reply. "Have you finished with your rounds yet?"

"No." He recognized her attempt for what it was... and this time played along willingly. "There's still a bit of maintenance to be done around here and I could use your help with those actually. Your climate charms were always quite superior to mine..." The distraction would do them both a bit of good. 

By the time Gracia and Perseus arrived via Floo to return their grandson into his parent's care, the baby was once again right in the middle of a hysterical crying fit. This time though he calmed down considerably once safely nestled into Tina's soft and soothing embrace. 

_See, you're exactly what he needs_ , Newt tried to convey through his eyes as his parents unloaded what was left their supplied for their day with Doran. She nodded and smiled at him, gently rocking the still somewhat upset baby in her arms. "Welcome home, my little Mooncalf. Mummy missed you so much."

 

* * *

 

Tina had perked up a little in the week that Newt had spent at home. With him around the strain on her had lessened slightly as the responsibilities were now shared more equally between them. At the same time he had witnessed first-hand the trying hours that Tina had faced nearly on a daily basis for the past three or so weeks. His little Doran crying and wailing inconsolably... and for no apprent reason either.

Usually it happened in the later hours of the afternoon, sometimes already around midday though when it had been a particularly active night for their little Mooncalf. On his first full day  with the baby at home they had despaired together, both trying and never succeeding in calming their baby down until he had cried himself out. The next time it happened he had sent Tina off to her sister's for a bit and braved the storm by himself. He knew how much she suffered from it, feeling so helpless in front of her little baby, ae felt it was his duty to relieve her for as much as he possibly could while he had the chance. So Tina spent an unusual amount of time with her sister that week.

"Shh, shh, shh," he tried to sooth the crying child in his arms as he walked up and down the upstairs corridor once again. "You're alright, little one." _At least you should be..._ He shifted the baby to rest against his shoulder, lightly bouncing him up and down in hopes it would have an effect this time around. Of course it didn't.

"What has you crying so much, my little Mooncalf?" Not for the first time he asked himself that question. No need to worry, his mother had said as she had come by to return Doran at the beginning of the week. So he tried not to. Worrying meant to suffer twice after all. It was just a normal reaction that every baby had in the first months of their life. Working through new sensations and impressions, she had said. Likely also a reaction to rapid developments and changes as they grew from newborn to baby to infant in such a short time. It would pass again, that was the only consensus on that subject. It would pass. Minutes ticked by slowly, turned into an hour, turned into evening...

"You're alright," he repeated again and again as Doran wailed loudly against his shoulder, against his chest. Whether for himself or for the baby's benefit he really couldn't say at that point.

Finally the unhappy sounds grew less intense, turned into little hiccups as the short pauses inbetween grew a little longer. Then Doran fell silent in his arms, face still reddened and streaked with a stray tear or two as he dropped into an exhausted slumber. So peaceful again after too long of raising a personal version of hell for his parents. Carefully Newt returned the little one back to his crib in the bedroom and pulled the warm baby blanket over him.

"Sleep well now, little one," he managed to utter before falling face first onto his own bed just two steps away. He was tired to the bone. Doran didn't just cry himself into exhaustion. As sleep claimed him, his last thoughts went out to the suitcase waiting downstairs. His beasts would have to wait a little longer to be fed... possibly until Tina returned home from Shabbat Dinner at the Kowalski's. Sundown hadn't been too long ago...

 

* * *

 

The days off from work had passed much too fast for Newt's liking. Somewhere inbetween baby care, creature care and spending actual time with his family it had gone by in the blink of an eye. He had to return back to the Bureau the day after next and the realisation hit him just as he was about to put Doran to sleep for the night... or the first part of it anyway.

His wife was already in bed, cocooned underneath the cozy eiderdown as she watched him freeze in his movements. "What's wrong?" she wondered, immediately worried..

"Uh, nothing really." He chuckled and tucked the blanket safely over the already sleeping form of his son before casting a sound muffling charm around the crib. It was better to take no chances of waking the little one with their talking.

"It's just... I'll be back at work on Tuesday," he explained while crawling under the blankets himself.

Tina hummed in agreement as she cuddled closer to him. "I know."

He put his arms around her. "Will you be okay with that?" In the past week he gotten a taste of her struggles himself. It had been horrifying and nerve-wracking to say the least.

"I'll have to be, won't I?"

"Yes. But... Remember, you can write to me anytime."

She nodded and snuggled into his embrace. "I know. Let's see if your idea actually works out though... it still sounds a bit too good to be true."

"I will talk to Gudgeon first thing when I'm back and explain some of the situation to him." His superior didn't need to know everything... just that he'd be working on a somewhat more flexible schedule for the near future. "And I'll arrange for him to take me off any duties that will see me gone for more than a day... at least for now."

Tina raised her eyebrow in question. "Do you really think you'd rather stay put instead of... I don't know, observe a rare beast sighted in Spain?"

Newt chuckled and shook his head. "They can still call me to the site when it's an actual magical creature... most of the time it's not, you see. Gudgeon is just so used to sending me out there because I usually would seize every opportunity available to go abroad."

She hummed her agreement. "I'm well aware of that, Mr. Scamander. I was there for some of it."

"You loved it too." He waved his hand to put out the candles on the nightstand. "Sleep now, love. I have a feeling this will once again be a rather restless night for us."

"No, it won't," she mumbled, eyes closed and already on her way to sleep. "Love you."

"I love you , too."  His prediction should prove to be true though. Far too soon for his liking Newt woke to the sound of Doran's gurgles and whines coming from the crib in the corner of their bedroom. It felt like mere moments after sleep had claimed him. Tina was not far behind in waking and sitting up next to him. 

"Go back to sleep," Newt muttered into the dark and swung his legs out of bed. "I've got it." Hopefully Doran was just in need of a nappy change. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realise this chapter is a bit on the jumpy side with all the little bits and pieces thrown together... sorry for that. They had to go somewhere though. The next one will a bit more cohesive, I promise.


	13. Part 2: A Strange Proposal

It had been an exhausting day for Newt Scamander. His planned work on the new edition had come to nothing when an urgent call from Northern Ireland had reached the Dragon Research and Restraint Bureau soon after his arrival. A Hebridean Black nesting far too close to a Muggle village needed to be relocated as fast as possible. Newt and a not too small number of his colleagues had been busy all day there, finding a suitable new location for the nest, finding a way to relocate brood and beast without any damage done and most importantly: keeping the Muggles from finding out.

One should think there were standard procedures for such occurrances but only after hours of scouting, arguing and distracting the locals they had finally managed to sedate the Dragon and successfully move her into a far less habitable (at least for Humans) region where she could breed in peace... and under the watchful eye of the Ministry.

It was past five o'clock when Newt finally managed take a seat at his desk again and opened up his notebook to look for any messages from Tina. He sighed a small breath of relief to see that there were none... in his haste to get to Northern Ireland he had left the book behind that morning. Not that he would have had much time to check in with her anyway once on location.

In the many weeks since New Year's they had come to write to each other regularly. It had taken a few days for Tina to swallow her pride but one afternoon he did find himself alerted to a short message from her: _He's crying again. It's been two hours now._ Followed mere minutes later by a hastily scribbled: _Please come home. I can't take it anymore!_ Which he had of done as soon as possible. Gudgeon had been surprisingly understanding on the matter...

Lately Tina's calls for help had steadily decreased though... from once or twice per week to almost none. Newt smiled to himself as he skimmed through the journal and re-read some of their correspondances. The further he went on the more amusing little things filled the pages rather than Tina's shaky scrawl asking for support. There was day Doran had first smiled at Tina... and later that evening at him, too. A real smile. Some time later she wrote to him about Doran grinning at Auntie Queenie and his Nan but pulling a horrified expression when faced with his grandfather. And the baby's noisy gurgles and hiccups slowly turned into actual babbling these days. Just yesterday his wife had been quite sure to have heard something sounding like "mama"... though at his current age Doran probably wouldn't say his highly anticipated first words for quite a while yet. Not for lack of trying though. 

Newt was more than glad to see Tina more relaxed and happier lately. Both of them really, as he got to spend a bit more time at home as well when Tina requested his company. As their son grew older week by week their shared workload levelled out as well. Nights were no longer as exhausting as they used to be, days did not end with both mother and child in tears anymore. It all had worked out almost too perfectly, though on occasion Newt would still feel guilty about those first terrible weeks for her. Things were better now.

Determined to see at least one more chapter worked on today Newt quickly moved on to peruse his study notes on Tebos. Lately he hadn't been able to spend as much time studying these fascinating African creatures in his case, but what information he had gathered so far needed to be put into a printable form anyway so it could be added to the next edition of his book. He picked up the feather quill and began to write up a draft of his findings. 

Scribbling away he was soon so lost to his work he didn't hear any calls or the heavy steps approaching his corner of the office. Not until a well-known voice demanded his attention directly in front of him. "Scamander!" his boss called again, sounding none too pleased with his absent-minded employee. "Did you hear me just now?"

Newt blinked in confusion, shook his head to clear it and looked up at him. "Sorry, I was... working."

Chief Dragon-Wrangler Edwin Gudgeon rolled his eyes. "I need you in my office. Now."

Newt got up from his desk with a sigh and followed the Head of Department into his small and cramped office. Whatever it was, apparently it couldn't wait. Otherwise he would have gotten a memo from the man instead of him moving all the way across the room in person. Gudgeon preferred to do his work seated behind his desk as much as possible... due to some unfortunate leg injuries acquired in the field a long while ago.

"What is it, sir?" he asked tiredly when the door had closed behind them. The exertions of the day and still existing lack of sleep with an infant in the house were taking their toll on him. Added to that he was heavily cutting back on his use of the Girding Potion these days, much to Tina's relief, and did not have the time or luxury to hold his usual nap in the suitcase today. 

"I need you to go to Germany," the man answered shortly, now back in his desk chair.

Newt frowned. "What?"

"Special request, Scamander. Apparently they have a problem with an unknown beast there and you've been requested specifically to help investigating. This is all the information I got for you right now." He was handed a file, slim and containing only a small number of notes. Two reports of a sighting by muggles, not very descriptive. Photographs of damages done. Not much to go on, not even hints as to what creature could have done this. "You'll leave tomorrow. I want this business done as soon as possible."

Newt bristled at the man's imperative tone. "Sir, I'm happy to do all manners of investigations around the Bitish Isles but... I'm not going abroad." He had made that request quite clear at the end of last year. Anything in Apparition or Flooing distance, but nothing that needed travelling abroad or had him gone for more than a day. He'd promised Tina to be there for her, to be there for them... and Newt Scamander took his promises serious.

Gudgeon narrowed his eyes at him. "And why's that Scamander? You've never been shy to travel before if I remember correctly."

Surely eight weeks were not long enough for Gudgeon to have forgotten their arrangement? He'd made use of it to work at home just three days ago! He crossed his arms in front of his chest, manila folder still gripped tightly, and frowned. "That was before. You know I have a wife and baby at home these days and they need me."

"So? I don't see the problem with that. Most of us here got a family at home... and most of us would jump at the opportunity of a few days away from them."

Newt slowly shook his head. As so often it turned out he was _not_ like the rest of them. He'd rather stay in the office than spend his time investigating some meager hints somewhere in Germany for Merlin knew how long. The file was not very comprehensive... and apart from a general location in the Alps it didn't give much of anything solid to go on. It could take weeks to find whatever beast caused fear and destruction there.

Gudgeon sighed and shook his head. "Look, why don't you take them both with you if you can't bear to leave them? They can have a bit of a vacation while you're busy. Munich is supposed to be a beautiful city I hear."

His gaze flew up in horror. "You can't be serious!" Taking his family to Germany of all places? Definitely not!

"I am, Scamander." The man frowned. "You should be glad for the offer. Not everyone gets a pleasant little family vacation for free these days!"

Newt barely contained the sharpness of his answer behind gritted teeth. "With all due respect, sir," he hissed out, thinking of the numerous reports and articles that appeared even in the _Daily Prophet_ these days. "I highly doubt it will be a pleasant little vacation for my family. My wife is Jewish. My son is Jewish. And the Germans have not been very hospitable towards Jewish people as of late."

The man in front of him bared his teeth in a smirk that did not fit his features... or Newt's perception of him as a jovial man. "Oh, really?" he drawled. "I had no idea you associated with the likes of... them, Scamander."

Newt blanched, though he somewhat successfully managed to hide his shock. Of course he knew. Everyone knew. Auror Porpentina Scamander had a name and reputation around the Ministry and beyond and the _Prophet_ loved to gossip about persons of interest such as her or himself. 

"What a disappointment," his boss continued. "You know they're just-"

But Newt did not care to hear his opinions in the slightest. He threw the file back down onto Gudgeon's desk, more forceful than neccessary though the thump it produced was not at all satisfying."The answer is no. I'm not going."

He didn't wait for a reply before turning to leave the office of the Chief Dragon-Wrangler. He hastily retrieved his notes and the case from his desk and stormed out of the Bureau. 

 

* * *

 

Of course Tina knew immediately that something was not alright when he came home. Newt had decided to apparate instead of using the Floo Network, hoping to walk some of his anger off before stepping through the front door. It had not helped much though and rather gave him more time to seeth over Gudgeon's words and implications than take his mind off them.

"What happened?" she inquired the moment she saw his stormy face in the hallway. Newt shook his head and went on to dispose of his case in the work room at the back of the house. It took a few long moments in solitude and a number of deep breaths to calm himself before he made his way back, into the living room where Doran lay on a soft woolen blanket in front of the fireplace. He picked him up to hold close to his chest, arms protectively curled around the small body.

"Hello there. How has my little Mooncalf been today, hm?" he murmured and couldn't help a little smile. His worries and troubles retreated to the back of his mind as Doran, just a bit over three months old by now, babbled as if in reply to his question. "Yes? Well, seems you had a better day than me then."

Another round of random sounds made Newt grin. And his son reacted to that with a wide smile of his own. The little one had the incredible power to pull him back from the even worst of places in his mind. How anyone could possibly think... Newt sighed.

"There are some bad people out there," he whispered. "People who think you're not human, who want you and your Mummy harm... but I won't let anything happen to you." He pressed a soft kiss to the top of his son's head. "Mummy and Daddy are going to protect you from all those bad people out there."

As if sensing something was not all that right after all Doran instinctively moved a little closer and his little hands tried to clutch at his bowtie. With a small chuckle Newt loosened the tied fabric and slipped it from his shirt collar to let the baby play with it as he held him even closer in his arms. "Don't worry, Daddy's going to be alright." He took a deep breath, inhaling the clean scent so distinct to only the youngest of his kind.

It felt good to be home again after the day he'd had, even without the conversation with his boss. He started walking around the living room, feeling the tenseness seep from his body with every moment he spent here in the company of the little miracle that had been gifted to them. He took another deep breath.

His bowtie had found its way into Doran's mouth by now, who sucked at it with obvious glee as he fisted it in his little hands. Newt shook his head and smiled before gently prying it from his grip. "You really shouldn't do that, little man. Daddy's been wearing that all day at work. You know, we moved a Dragon today! Hard work, but she will be happier where she is now."

But Doran sounded rather unimpressed by that. Without his toy to occupy himself the boy started kicking and squirming in his arms and the happy little babblings turned into something more resembling a displeased cry. "Alright, I see you're done with me then. Come on, let's get you down on your blanket again, hm?"

He kneeled down and put Doran back onto the soft fabric near the fireplace. The baby quieted immediately and curiously looked at his surroundings for a few moments before fidgeting a little more. And then the baby slowly managed to roll over onto his tummy.

"Oh, well done, Doran!" Newt exclaimed when his son had finally succeeded. The rolling over was still a new development and Newt watched on with fascination as he held up his head to look at the world from his new angle, moving his chubby arms and legs about as if willing to move forward by himself.

"You'll probably start crawling soon too, won't you?" he chuckled at the sight. "Merlin help us, we got ourselves a curious little explorer."

His words were acknowledged with a gurgling kind of laugh. Or at least something resembling it. Doran had grown so much in the past months, now no longer a small baby fitting into the crook of his arm but a curious infant discovering the world around him a bit more every day. There was nothing Newt could do against the hate he would inevitably find in it. But he could try his best to make it a bright and happy place for the time being.

He picked up the little silver rattle that lay not far away and moved it around in front of the child. Doran smiled at the familiar high jingling sound it emitted and followed the movements with his eyes for a bit before trying to reach for it. With a grin Newt put it down onto the blanket right in front of Doran's little fist and watched him push the rattle around by himself until he grew tired of it. A smiling, babbling, happy baby. His baby. 

 

When Tina joined them a little later, Newt had shed his jacket and waistcoat and lay sprawled on the rug with a sleeping infant cradled to his chest.

"You two make quite the sight," she smiled and sat down next to him. Her hand found and held his where it rested on their son's back. "How are my men?"

"Exhausted, the both of them." Newt met her eyes and smiled apologetically. "Sorry about my entrance earlier. I was... not in a good place."

She leaned forward and used her other hand to swipe the messy fringe out of his face before meeting his lips in a short but sweet kiss. "It's okay, darling. What happened though?"

Newt sighed. "Someone at the Bureau... has some very upsetting ideas." She frowned in question. "The antisemitic kind."

Tina grimaced. "Who was it?"

Newt swallowed, trying to find the words to explain what had happened. He still didn't fully understand it himself since Gudgeon had never before shown any inclinations towards that ideology. That awful, nonsensical mindset of a certain race being better than others... calling everyone else inferior and subhuman. But they were not. Jews, gypsies, white and coloured people... they were all equally human. How people could think otherwise was beyond him.

But Tina shushed him with a finger to his lips when he opened his mouth to speak. "You don't have to tell me now, okay?" She threaded their fingers together and squeezed his hand where they rested gently on Doran's back, slowly rising and falling in his innocent slumber.

"It was Gudgeon," he whispered and frowned. "I just never thought... He's never been like that before. At all... I think."

"Some hide it better than others," Tina replied casually. With a too bright expression she stroked the soft darkening hair on their son's head. "Lately they feel less of a need to hide though."

Newt reached up and caressed her cheek, letting his hand glide over her soft skin to rest in the crook of her neck. Her outer calmness was belied by the quick pulse thrumming forcefully against his hand there. But the look in her eyes told him not to ask about it. Yet.

"It's late, love. How about you take this one here upstairs and I see to the rest of the brood? They must be hungry by now."

Tina nodded thankfully and took the sleeping boy from his arms. "How about we both join you in the suitcase though? Dougal can keep an eye on Doran while I help you with the feeding. You look more than tired."

Newt nodded. Now that the anger and agitations were gone he did feel the exertions of the day weighing heavily on him... but Tina didn't look much better either. He knew she wanted and needed the distraction, though.

"Come on," she continued with a small smile. "The faster we get it done the faster you can get your own dinner... and sleep."

 

* * *

 

"You need to go, darling," his wife insisted after dinner, when he had told her all that had happened at the Bureau earlier.

"Tina..." He sighed. How could he? He did not feel particularly inclined to leave his family, especially for an unspecified amount of time. And not to go to Germany of all places. He had already told Gudgeon so, too.

"No, listen to me. I know it will be hard on both of us, but we can't affort you to loose your job over this. So travel to Germany as you've been told to do, investigate whatever has been sighted there and come back home to us. I'm... better now, so we will manage alone for a bit. "

"But I'm not sure I can manage without you, love."

"Can or want to?" she quipped with a small smile.

Newt felt the corner of his lips tug upwards at her words. "A bit of both?"

They smiled at each other for a few moments before the topic at hand returned to the forefront of his mind. Newt sighed again. "I honestly don't have a good feeling about it either though. You know better than most who has been meddling on German territory." The thought had appeared during his rounds in the case... and in retrospect it did seem a little strange. There hadn't even been an official letter of request among the papers as there should have been.

A frown appeared on her face. "You think Grindelwald is in some way behind this?"

"I don't know," he muttered. "But there were only two, maybe three pages in that file. That's not the normal amount of information gathered for even just a single creature sighting and there were supposed to be multiple of those. It was just barely enough to intrigue someone like me to rush off and investigate... And honestly, I blindly would have done so not too long ago."

Tina thought on it for a moment. "You think Grindelwald is trying to lure you into a trap of sorts?"

"I don't know, love. It's just... a hunch. Why else would they specifically request _me_ to help with their investigations?"

She chuckled. "Because you're the foremost authority when it comes to magical creatures? Newt Scamander, renowned Magizoologist and author of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them._ "

Newt groaned as she repeated the line with which most, if not all, articles relating to him started these days. "So you don't see anything fishy there? Just... someone remebering my name in the context of beasts?"

She shrugged and started to look rather uncomfortable. "I've been off duty for six months now, Newt... I don't know much more than the papers say these days so I couldn't tell. You should probably talk to Percy or Quint, depending on who's leading the unit right now. Or Theseus, if you want to avoid any suspicions."

That wasn't such a bad idea actually. But the thought of leaving still didn't sit well with him. Newt leaned forward and took her hand in his. "If you really want me to go, Tina, I will. But only if you are sure you can manage alone for a while. Gudgeon wanted me to leave tomorrow and I have no idea how long that investigation would take."

Tina nodded in understanding. "Doran and I will manage, Newt. _I_ will manage... These days it's not as bad as it used to be. And we're not entirely alone, you know? Our family will not hesitate to help when I ask for it... and I learned to do that now." She smiled. "So you go and do your job, I'll do mine."

Newt looked at her for a long moment. She did seem tired and still upset over the news about Gudgeon, but also quietly confident in the truth of her words. He nodded. "Alright. Then I'll go by the Auror Offices tomorrow and check with Percy or Theseus before heading to Gudgeon's desk."

 

He never got that far though. Newt Scamander spluttered his  tea all over the morning edition of _The Daily Prophet_ when one of the smaller headlines caught his eyes.

" _Chief Dragon-Wrangler found dead_ " it read in bold letters. And apparently the poor man had been found dead in his gardening shed yesterday in the late hours of the afternoon... which meant the person he had talked to yesterday evening had _not_ been Gudgeon at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is early March of 1934, which means the little Scamanderling is already more than 3 months old... Tina is slowly but surely on her way to recovery by now and both her and Newt learned a few valuable lessons, most improtantly that talking about their problems is very vital and together is always better than alone. I won't detail any of it since this is not actually a fic about Tina's PPD. ;)  
> In the next few chapters we will mostly see Doran grow bit by bit, with cutesy scenes and little mysteries thrown in for a bit of fun... Truth is, I discovered I don't particularly enjoy writing this much baby stuff, which is why I really want to speed it up a bit and get Doran to an age where I can actually write him as an actual person: reacting and interacting and with a developing personality, you know? ;)  
> And then the fun parts of Newtina's adventures in parenting can actually begin...


	14. Part 2: Home Alone

Spring had transformed Dorset back into the lush and green landscape Tina had secretly fallen in love with. But today a strong and uncomfortable drizzle rendered her afternoon plans completely void. Just earlier this morning a warming June sun had bathed the rolling hills beyond the stone walls of their garden in a pleasant and promising light... but with noon the grey and heavy clouds had arrived to drive it away again. As they so often did here in England. 

_So much for an afternoon outdoors._ Tina sighed as she looked out the kitchen window. _But at least it's good for the plants... not long now until we can pick the first strawberries._ Something to look forward to. A soft glow from the notebook on the kitchen table caught Tina's attention on her way back to the living room. There was a new message from her husband.

" _How are my two favourite people today?_ "

Tina smiled. After the unexpected death of the Chief Dragon-Wrangler back in March Newt had received a promotion at work... and with that had come a few more administrative responsibilities chaining him to his desk. But he did not mind that so much as he once would have. Her husband often used the time to write to her... and as the third in command of the Dragon Research and Restraint Bureau now the pay was far better, too.

Ever since that puzzling incident with Gudgeon-but-not-Gudgeon back in March, Newt had been more careful about where he was going when out in the field though. The assignment to go to Germany and help find a magical creature had been a well-planned trap. After some inquiries from the Auror Offices to their German counterparts it had turned out that no one on their side knew anything about beast related incidents in the Alps, much less had requested for one Newt Scamander to assist them. So of course, all thoughts had turned to a ploy by Grindelwald... Newt's hunch that night had been right.

The imposter who posed as Gudgeon had not been found out though... and most likely never would be. Same was true or the person who had taken the man's life.  But at least one good thing had come out of the strange affair: with new leads to go on the Grindelwald Unit had made a number of arrests not a week later, soldiers and even two commanders of Grindelwald's forces. They currently resided in Azkaban. 

Tina took the notebook with her to the living room and settled back into the cozy armchair, watching her son entertain himself with a stuffed toy in the form of a Mooncalf. A fitting and by now very well-loved gift from his grandparents. Doran held it in his little hand before gleefully throwing it out of reach. "Bababababa!"

She chuckled. "You want me to get that for you, little man?" 

The child's piercing blue eyes looked at her. "Bababa."

"Of course you do..." She bent down to pick up the toy and give it back to her son... for the fifth time in the past half hour. "There, a Mooncalf for my little Mooncalf."

This had been a favourite game of his for the past few weeks now... throwing toys or pushing things off a surface to see his parents go and fetch them back. After his first adventures in rolling over and around Doran had now mastered the art of sitting, too. Which, according to Queenie, meant that his first attempts at crawling would not be far off... and with that the next stressful part of parenthood would begin. Up until now she could be fairly sure that her little one would stay put when she left him unattended for a few moments. But if Ruth and Sammy were anything to go by, that would change the moment her son found out how to coordinate arm and leg movement enough to move around by himself. And so far Doran had turned out to be a quick learner...

" _We're good. It seems that the new buildings blocks are not that interesting to your son today. Throwing his poor stuffed companion on the other hand... that's just_ _as entertaining as chewing on him between the lengthy conversations they have._ "

"Babababa!"

After a tap of her wand Tina closed the green notebook again and smiled down at the baby now talking to his stuffed Mooncalf. There were new sounds every day, snippets picked up from their conversations and carefully tried and repeated on an endless loop of babbling until the next one caught his attention. The "mamama" one had been among the first, though after careful consideration she had chosen not to see it as Doran's first word spoken. The familiar syllables had been directed at nothing or no one in particular after all... so it wasn't the "mama" she had hoped for in that moment. But it didn't bother her much... that day and those first words would come sooner rather later. Her baby had grown up so much already.

In the past six months since their little one had entered this world, Tina had slowly but surely managed to grow more into her role as a mother, too. Granted, the beginning of this new adventure had been a little off. Or very much off, to be honest. But with accepting the necessary help and support from Newt and her family it had become easier to deal with the daily challenges of motherhood. The task was still a daunting one... but these days it did seem much more manageable to her.

" _And which words in particular is he trying out today?_ "

Tina grinned as she wrote out her answer, listening to Doran's continued babbling in the background.

" _Your 'bye-bye' this morning left quite the impression. Will you be home on time tonight?_ "

It was barely 2pm, but she did have plans for the night. Today was Queenie's birthday and her sister had requested her presence for a night out instead of spending the afternoon at home, eating Jacob's cake and watching the children play together. And she felt rather excited about the prospect of an evening without children... just the company of adults for a change.

" _Of course, your sister would have my head if I wasn't. I'll be home by 6 o'clock at the latest, love!_ "

From the corner of her eye Tina noticed Doran moving on the floor. Stuffed Mooncalf still clutched tightly, he had changed position. Instead of sitting on his cozy blanket he now lay on his back with little chubby legs tucked close, almost curling himself around his stuffed animal.

" _Doran really_ _loves that Mooncalf toy to bits. They're cuddling on the floor now, it's such a sweet sight._ "

She watched the child for a long while, wondering if maybe today would be the day her son discovered his abilities to move by himself. He merrily kicked his little feet, swaying from side to side as he did so. It wouldn't take much for him to roll over and push himself forward. The notebook started glowing again with a reply from Newt.

" _I wish I could be there, but instead my paperwork is calling... Give him a kiss from me when you put him down for his nap?_ "

Just then she could hear a little yawn interrupting her baby's chatter though. Tina grinned. _Right on time._ There had been food, there had been play and now it was time for a nap again.

" _Will do,_ " she wrote back and put the notebook and quill onto the low coffee table next to her. Safely out of reach from curious infants... for now.

Kneeling next to Doran she could see that he was getting rather sleepy. The babbling had slowed down and did not sound nearly as excited as before. Same with the kicking. Instead he was rasing his arms in her direction, begging to be picked up. Another habit that had started only recently. Tina chuckled but complied more than willingly.

"Daddy says hello," she said once he was comfortably wrapped in her arms. "He misses you."

Her baby's reply got lost in the fabric of his stuffed toy, that had now found its way into his mouth to be sucked on. He rested his head against her shoulder just as another sweet little yawn escaped him.

"Time for bed, little man, hm?" Tina cooed at him as she caressed the baby's soft hair. It was no longer the flaxen tone it had been right after birth, but had grown into a much darker colour by now. Her boy would have brown hair with reddish hues in it... not as deeply brown as her own just yet, but considerably darker than Newt's.

"Ggrrhhh." 

"Yes, alright. Mummy is going take you upstairs now."

Back in the nursery Tina put the sleepy baby into the cradle. As she tucked him in and kissed him goodnight the orange flutterbys returned to one of the trees at the far wall. The painted creatures were charmed to flutter all over the walls and ceiling of the room during the day, but settled back on their home tree when the room's occupant was tired. 

"Sleep well, my little Mooncalf." Doran's eyes were already shut by then. Tina left the door open as she returned downstairs to take another shot at housekeeping. 

 

* * *

 

As promised, Newt had returned home on time and so Tina had spent the last thirty minutes getting ready for her night out with Queenie as the men took care of the children for the night. They were to meet up with Arabella in London for a night of drinks and probably gossip... the first for her in a long while. She had no idea where exactly they were going to go but her sister had asked her to dress up a little and so she had.

After months of barely having the time or energy to change out of her pyjamas in the morning, it felt a little strange to 'doll up' again as Queenie would say... strange, but also wonderful. Today a very different Tina Scamander looked back at her in the mirror. For the occasion she had chosen a dress Queenie had given her for her birthday two years ago. It was a beautiful navy blue with a very flattering cut, short sleeves to cover her shoulders and a boat neckline with a bare minimum of frills. Feminine, but not overly so. And the small amount of cosmetics she had put on her face did the rest of the transformation. 

One last time she fingered her hair. In the past months it had grown quite a bit longer than her usual style, reaching down to her shoulders now. She didn't mind though... and Newt seemed to love it very much. Tina felt too out of practice to try any elaborate hair-dos, so it framed her face in soft finger waves tonight, fixed with a sparkling hair clip on one side. 

"Well, it won't get any better than that by fiddling," she told her reflection and finally rose from the vanity chair to leave the bedroom. _Stop criticising yourself... it's just a night out with Queenie._

In the kitchen she could hear Newt being busy with Doran and his evening meal. At nearly seven months old now their son had become quite chatty when he wasn't eating or sleeping. Tina couldn't help but wonder where he got that from. Neither she nor Newt were very sociable or outright chatty in their childhood (or even as adults). It was probably just a normal stage of development for babies... but she was glad to see that so far her son wasn't exactly on the shy side yet. 

She paused in the kitchen doorway to observe her two favourite men for a moment. Newt was sitting at the table with Doran perched on his lap and a bottle in his hand. Next to his own dinner plate a small but only half-finished bowl of bland oatmeal was waiting on the table. She couldn't help a grin at the sight. For the past few weeks now they had tried to introduce Doran to more solid foods in addition to nursing him. The mashed vegetables she usually fed him at midday had been no problem so far, but the cereals in the evening were still a hit and miss. And tonight it looked rather like a miss.

"Alright," Tina announced herself as she stepped into the room. "I'm ready to go now."

At the sound of her voice Newt turned to face her. His curious gaze roamed over her for a few long moments before a small, approving smile appeared on his flushing face. He awkwardly cleared his throat before speaking. "You look... beautiful." 

"It's not too... much?" Tina twirled slowly in front of him. She still hadn't lost all her pregnancy weight and needed to enlarge the dress a little before it fit her properly again. ( _Thank Merlin for magic!_ ) Even dressed and made up like this she still didn't feel as... attractive as she once might have. Though according to her husband those extra pounds were stored in all the right places... 

His eyes slowly travelled up and down her body once again. "Oh no, it's perfect," he replied, gaze locked with hers for a long moment before abruptly focussing back on his son. "Doesn't Mummy look beautiful, Doran?" But the baby was too busy clutching and sucking at his bottle of milk to reply in any way. 

Tina smiled and felt her cheeks grow hot. It was hard to feel pretty, much less beautiful, when she was covered in food, drool or other bodily fluids on a daily basis... but tonight she was quite inclined to believe her husband when he called her beautiful. 

Newt himself painted a different, less put together picture in comparison. His suitjacket and waistcoat were gone as usual, leaving him in a rumpled white shirt and suspenders, shirtsleeves rolled up to his elbows. And he was covered in baby food, too. But still... paired with his messy, windswept hair and the admiring grin on his face, he did look quite enticing anyway. The muscled arms exposed by his sleeves gave her a pleasing preview of what her husband hid underneath those garments, too.

A not unpleasent kind of tension rose between them as both took each other in. Only when their eyes suddenly met Tina realised with a start that she had stared at him for far too long. She felt her face flush and cleared her throat.

"Uhm... How did it go with the oatmeal?" An obvious distraction. Otherwise this would get out hand and she'd never make it to London. 

Newt smirked knowingly and adjusted the baby's bottle a little before replying. "He's hungry alright, but not much in the mood for solids. Most of the oatmeal ended up on the bib... and on me. But I think we managed to actually eat just a little of it too, didn't we Doran?" Again, her son's attention was focussed elsewhere.

She nodded. "We'll just keep trying then. He did eat it well enough yesterday, and he really loved the mashed carrots we tried for lunch this past week."

Tina chuckled. As if on cue, the little one was done with his bottled milk, pushing it away as soon as she had mentioned the carrots. A demanding kind of babbling started up.

"Well then," Newt grinned and put the bottle away. "I have no carrots for you but maybe you'd like to try some of that oatmeal again?" He picked up the little spoon and brought a bit of the whitish cereal pulp to the boy's lips. Like most baby foods it didn't look very appetizing. But once again the porridge ended up anywhere but in the child's mouth.

"Now that didn't go as planned. Let's try one more time, hm?" The next tea-spoon didn't make it past his lips either though as Doran did his best contortions to evade it altogether. Newt chuckled at the reaction and finally gave up. "Alright, I see we're really done for tonight."

"Grrhhee," Doran agreed and clutched at Newt's suspenders with great interest.

Tina stepped forward to take away the porridge and baby bottle as Newt cleaned the mess from Doran's face. "You probably shouldn't come closer, love," he chuckled. "Unless you want to meet up with Queenie and Arabella covered in baby food?"

With a grin she took out her wand and sent the used dishes over to the sink to sort themselves out. "I knew these housekeeping spells would come in handy one day," she quipped. Another flick of her wand took care of the mess on the men's clothing, too.

Chuckling he looked down at his now clean again shirt and trousers. "Would you look at that. Your Mummy must be a witch, Doran!" He shifted the child into a more secure halt in his arms and got up from the table. "You're leaving then?"

Tina nodded. "Yes. I'm sure they're waiting on me by now... You'll be okay on your own with him?"

Newt smiled. "Of course I will. It's bedtime soon and until then we're going to have a lot of fun, won't we?"

Doran babbled excitedly in answer as Tina stepped closer and wrapped both of them in a hug. "Oh, I'm sure you will." She pressed a soft kiss to her baby's hair. "Be good for Daddy while I'm out, okay?" 

Then she bid goodbye to her husband too, with a kiss that lasted quite a bit longer than anticipated. A lovely heat built up not only on her reddened cheeks... This really could get out of hand.

Tina smirked at him before taking a step back. "I really should go now."

"And I really have a mind to keep you here," Newt replied softly. His voice had dropped into a deeper register that had her belly fluttering even more. _Keep it together, Tina!_

It wasn't that they didn't have time for each other anymore... they did. And they made good use of it, too. But since they had started being intimate again, that pull towards each other was stronger and more intense than ever. For some reason it felt almost like being newly-weds again... newly-weds with a child to look after. 

Then Newt smirked at her too and she almost considered staying home after all.  "My sister is waiting, darling," she told him. "But... I'll make sure to be back before midnight." _Let's_ _continue this later tonight_ , she tried to convey wih her eyes. 

Still smiling, Newt nodded. "Alright, then I'll be waiting up for you." _Message received._ He followed up on his words with another lingering kiss before he let her go. _Such a tease,_ she thought to herself and finally made her way to the fireplace. _I might just have to come home a little earlier._ With that thought in mind she threw a handful of Floo powder into the hearth and vanished in the flames.

 

Queenie Kowalski and Arabella Scamander were already waiting for her on the other side, the Scamander Townhouse in London. The first sounds she heard after emerging from the cloud of green smoke was the barely stifled giggle of her sister.

"Oh Teenie," she exclaimed, "of course I don't mind if you wanna leave early!"

And thus, a mortifying evening began.

 

* * *

 

Doran stared at the kitchen fireplace for a little while after the green flames had vanished. He had seen Floo'ing often enough by now not to break into tears every time one of them disappeared in the flames though.

"Mummy is out with Auntie Queenie tonight," Newt told him once again. "So, it's just you and me." Doran replied with a toothless baby smile.

Their evening alone started out with some newly developed bedtime rituals. After they _both_ had finished their dinners, Newt and Doran retreated upstairs into the nursery for a bit of calming playtime that wouldn't get the baby too excited at this late hour. A quick bath for the baby followed before it was finally time to put him to bed. Doran was not sleeping entirely through the night yet, but close to it thanks to a schedule they had worked out together. It meant that their nights were finally becoming a little more restful again... at least until the teething would begin.

They had also moved the crib from their bedroom into the nursery a little while ago so they wouldn't wake at every little sound from the baby. Newt would have liked to have the baby close at night for a little longer, but his wife had been insistent on that point... and he did not have the will and strengt to argue with her. It had been three weeks now and so far the transition had gone far more smoothly than either of them had expected. There had been a few tears and fussy nights at first, but by now he already seemed to have gotten used to falling asleep by himself. 

Crdled in Newt's arms Doran listened with rapt attention as he sang the baby's favourite lullaby before finally putting him down to sleep. 

"Good night, my little Mooncalf," he whispered afterwards and leaned in for one last goodnight-kiss. "Sleep well."

He left the door ajar as he silently exited the room. When he returned to check on his son ten minutes later the boy was already fast asleep.

 

After feeding and watering of the creatures in his suitcase as well, Newt finally made himself comfortable in the cozy leather armchair. Sitting by the fireplace in the living room he closed his eyesand enjoyed the calm and silence around him for a moment. Usually he would have taken out his manuscript and worked on additions for the new edition of his book first chance... but as of last week the fifth edition of " _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ " was completely revised and shipped off to print. The book would be available just in time for the start of the new school year at Hogwarts... and he did have the spare time to just doze for a bit. 

He occupied his mind with thoughts about Tina... especially those enticing little smirks and blushes they had shared before she left. Seeing her in a beautiful dress like that had startled him a little. In the best way possible... between their domesticity and childcare it was easy to forget just how beguiling Tina could be when she put her mind to it. And his lovely wife definitely had more plans for tonight than just attending her sister's birthday outing... Plans that would quite likely include himself in some capacity. Something to look forward to.

A quick glance to the clock on the mantle told him it was not even 9 o'clock though. It would still be hours until she returned from London and share her further plans with him. _I really should have kept her here._

Memories of her lush lips on his rose unbidden to his mind. _Well, too late now._ With a sigh he leaned further into the armchair and closed his eyes again. A little nap would not be a bad idea... he might need the rest later on.

 

* * *

 

 

A hand at his shoulder gently shook him awake again. His eyes flew open to the blurred sight of pale skin and dark hair. Something blue. He blinked twice more before his sight had adjusted.

"Tina?"

"Hey you," she chuckled.

Newt sat up straighter and rubbed a hand across his face, trying to wake up fully. His little nap had lasted for longer than he had planned. "What time is it?"

"Just past 11pm," she trilled and grinned. 

He smiled up at her. "So... you're home early."

"I told you I would be." She bit her lip and shifted to settle onto the armrest. "Doran is still asleep..."

Newt nodded, though it was a statement rather than a question. His arm slowly circled her waist.  "And I was waiting up for you, Mrs. Scamander. Did you have fun?"

"I did." She smirked. "But the night isn't over yet, is it?"

Newt couldn't help the grin and pulled her into his lap. "Not until you say it is... I am well rested, my love."

The breathtaking kiss that followed was only the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah... love is in the air again. And next week you might get a bit of smut from me as well ;)


	15. Part 2: New friends and old

She closed her eyes with a hum and let the warmth of bright sunlight wash over her face. It was August and after a period of cool and rainy days the sun had finally decided to come out and put in one last effort. Tina Scamander very much appreciated these golden days of summer. At her side, Doran giggled in delight as he moved around. The sound brought a smile to her face as well.

They had taken a blanket out into the garden this afternoon and settled down on the small patch of grass beneath the apple tree for a bit of fresh air. The actual plan had been for the three of them to go on a hike today, enjoying the beautiful countryside while getting some excercise. But Newt had been called in to work this morning, leaving the two of them on their own instead.

"Ah ah ah! Not so fast, little Mooncalf," she chuckled and retrieved her son before he could escape into the vegetable patch. At nine months old now, her baby had become quite adept at crawling and moving on his own. It was a blessing and a curse.

Barely two months ago she had watched him excitedly, wondering whether today would be the day he made that next step into growing up. Now she often wished, Doran had waited just a little bit longer to discover this effective method of moving around... say for another year or so? It was exhausting to run after him all day, keeping him from escaping the room or – in one particular incident last week – the house even. They had barely put him down before he was already on the move again. Their little explorer.

The house had undergone a thorough baby-proofing by now. Doors were kept shut tight and all cabinets locked. Newt had even taken to store his suitcase on the workroom table instead of the floor when he was home, just in case. These days nothing below the knee was safe from curious baby hands and mouths.

"Abababa!" Doran complained as Tina pulled him back into her lap.

She smiled. "Yes, I know, darling. So many interesting things out there and Mummy won't let you explore any of it." She distracted him from this injustice with kisses all over his face, causing the boy to giggle and laugh instead. Just like tickling, it worked like a charm... at least for now.

"Come on," she grinned after she was done and hoisted the baby onto her hip. "Let's explore the garden together, okay?" Little hands gripped at her blouse as she stood up with Doran safely in her arms. _From up here at least he can't chew on the greens or eat the soil._

They made their way around the garden, with Tina stooping low so Doran could get a look and feel of various plants growing there: the parsley and chives, turnips, onions and potatoes. And the carrots of course. The little one squealed in delight when she pulled at the green and the familiar orange of the vegetable emerged from the soil.

"You'll have this one for lunch tomorrow," she told him and pocketed the root. Doran absolutely loved his mashed carrots.

On their way to the pumpkin patch with its large leaves and even larger fruit, Tina heard a rustling nearby.

"Hush," she shushed the babbling baby and listened carefully. The sound came from underneath the bramble covering the far garden wall. Ready to defend her son against whatever might be lingering there, she pulled out her wand and cast a protective shield around him. If she put him down, she would risk him getting hurt... or worse: being taken. Like this at least she could run and apparate if necessary. _Hopefully, it won't be._

Wand pointed at the wall, she called out. "Who's there?" No answer came but the rustling continued until between the green leaves of the bramble bushes a grey cat emerged. The creature took a long, measuring look at her.

Doran babbled and laughed excitedly as he saw the furry pet, stretching his arms out to touch and pet as he did around Newt's Nifflers.

"Shh," she tried to calm him, wand still pointed at the unexpected intruder. It jumped up onto the low stone wall that surrounded their garden and settled down with a loud meow. The intensely glaring eyes never left her, though, and Tina couldn't shake the strange sensation prickling at the back of her neck.

After the strange happenings in March, she had become even more distrustful of strangers around them. Someone had tried to lure her husband into a trap that day. Who was to say next time they wouldn't use her or their child to get to him? Wordlessly, she cast a spell designed to force Animagi back into their human form... but the creature remained in its catlike shape once the blue and white flash had dissipated. _Not an Animagus then._

She relaxed a little at that and loosened her iron grip on Doran. He was once again happily voicing his excitement at their newest discovery. In fact, she had a hard time even keeping him in her arms. No sign of his budding stranger anxiety now... he really did take after Newt more and more.

"Yes, that's a cat, Doran."

With a chuckle Tina lowered her wand and crouched down, trying to look as unthreatening as possible while keeping her fidgeting son in check. Another soft moew sounded from the wall that had Doran laugh once again.

"You can come closer," she called out to the creature, "we're not going not hurt you." _Funny thing to say after casting a spell on them just now._

She smiled at the creature. "Sorry, I hope that spell did not hurt you. I'm a little jumpy when it comes to... strangers." _Which you most certainly are_. Apparently she was the one with stranger anxiety today. The cat looked intrigued though and took to all fours again.

"Where do you come from, then? A stray from the village? We don't get too many of those all the way out here..."

Head held high the animal made its way a little further along the wall, closer towards them, and after a good look at it Tina realised this was not a cat at all. Bushy, grey-spotted fur, large ears and a tail resembling that of a lion more than a cat. "Oh, you're a Kneazle!"

Doran was getting even more excited as the creature hopped from the wall and slowly approached them. "That's a Kneazle, Doran. Not a cat at all."

The creature still kept its distance, though it looked neither scared nor particularly hostile at the moment.

"Don't worry, we're not gonna hurt you," she repeated. The Kneazle meowed again. "You must be hungry, huh?" It did look rather thin to her, even for a creature living in the wild instead of a good wizarding home. "You want something to eat?"

Another cautious step in their direction. Tina smiled. "Come on over then. We'll find something for you in the kitchen, it's not that far."

Tina took a secure hold of her son again and perched him high on her hip as she slowly rose to stand. The Kneazle had frozen at her movements though and looked ready to flee again.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna harm you. You can follow us back to the house whenever you like. I'll put something out for you by the back door." Much to Doran's vocal disappointment, she turned to retreat back into the house through the kitchen door. The sooner the Kneazle would get some food the better.

Behind them, the beast curiously turned its head to look after them until they had reached the house. As promised Tina poured a bowl of milk and put some pieces of the leftovers from Queenie's Shabbat Dinner roast onto a small plate. Both she placed in a sheltered corner by the kitchen door before retrieving the blanket from the garden. After all the excitement of the afternoon, Doran would soon be ready for his afternoon nap... and the teething potion was due to wear off as well. No need to scare the Kneazle away with a baby loudly wailing in unfamiliar pain.

When Tina checked on the dishes again later that evening, they were both empty. She smiled and took them back inside. The Kneazle was nowhere to be seen, though.

 

* * *

 

The next morning Tina woke to the voice of an excited Newt Scamander drifting in through the open window. She chuckled. Of course her husband was already up... and he was animatedly talking to someone in the kitchen right below.

As suspected, she found the nursery empty when she had swung out of bed to start the new day. She made her way downstairs where Newt and Doran were already busy preparing and eating breakfast. Much to her surprise, they were not alone though.

"Good morning, love!" he greeted her as she joined them in the kitchen. His freckled face was lit up in excitement. "Look! I found a Kneazle sitting patiently on our window sill this morning."

Indeed, the very same grey Kneazle they had encountered yesterday was now comfortably perched on their kitchen table. Right next to their son in his high-chair, petting and stroking the creature with enthusiasm.

"Doran seems to know her," Newt continued and watched the scene before them with a grin.

"Her?" she questioned, keeping an eye on the creature. Kneazles had a tendency to be hostile and she did not want her little boy to get hurt because of her negligence. Even nearly domesticated creatures like Dougal and the Nifflers got fed up with Doran trying to 'pet' them at some point... since there was always a certain degree of pulling involved, too.

"Calm down, love. She's not going to suddenly lash out now... They've been at it for a good twenty minutes already and there was not so much as a hiss from her. She seems to have taken to our son."

Newt smiled at her raised eyebrow.  "And yes, I'd say it's a 'she'. The males have more bushy fur around the head and neck, rather like male lions have a mane and females don't."

Tina nodded in understanding. "We do know her actually. She visited us yesterday in the garden, but was too shy to actually say hello. I left a bit of milk and meat out for her since she looks far too thin. Wouldn't you say?"

Newt nodded. "Yes, she does."

"So you've come for more today, haven't you?" she spoke to the Kneazle a she approached the table.

This time the creature did not shrink away from her when she extended a hand. In fact, she quite enjoyed being petted by her, too.

"She seems to like you, love."

Tina chuckled. "I'm surprised about that. I mean, I fired a spell at her yesterday... I thought she was an Animagus at first. She was rather distrusting of me after that."

"Your treat might have tipped the balance in your favour then," he said. "I got hissed at when I opened the window for her earlier."

She smirked at him. "Really now? A magical creature that does not like Newt Scamander?"

He shrugged and returnd to the stove. "She seems to know the two of you... I'm still the stranger in this scenario."

 

After breakfast, with kid and Kneazle nearly cuddling at the table, they did a short examination of the creature. Right there at the table since she refused to leave their son's side. It was a female indeed.

"Tina.... shall we keep her?" Newt wondered. He had that happy glint in his eyes that she hardly could say no to.

"One more creature for the case? Well, I don't see why not."

"No," he replied and chuckled. "I mean as an actual pet. Up here, with us."

Tina frowned at his words. They had so many creatures in their care, the idea of a pet in the house hadn't really come to her before. Besides, with Dougal and Pickett regularly escaping the case to look out the window or wreak havok in the workroom (respectively), they already did have pets... kind of.

"That Kneazle really seems to have taken to Doran," Newt explained further. "I don't think we could get rid of her even if we wanted to... They're extremely loyal and protective creatures, you know? Once they've taken a liking to a wizard of witch, that is."

Tina bit her lip. A wild Kneazle around a nine month old baby... The defensive part in her screamed no, but the rational side brought to her mind that the animal had been anything but agressive so far. Quite the opposite, in fact. Apart from the tentative hiss in Newt's direction when he tried and failed to carry her away from their son earlier.

"Well, we can try and keep her around," she decided. "She might run off just as easily as she came to us, though."

Newt grinned. "I know. But I don't think it's going to happen. Look at them."

Look, she did. The Kneazle still indulged Doran in "petting" her... and surprisingly seemed all the more content for it. She was actually purring.

 

* * *

 

 

"Hey there, fellas!" Newt chuckled as he watched Jacob feeding the herd of Mooncalves. They crowded in around him, yelping and eager to catch the floating pellets he threw them. "Don't go get too rowdy, will ya? There's enough for everyone!" With a grin on his face he moved on to look after the more dangerous beasts in his case.

Today was Tina's birthday and the Kowalski's had come by, bearing gifts in the form of Jacob's delicious baked goods to accompany their coffee and tea. They had been joined by his parents and Theseus' wife and daughter as well, turning it into a small family gathering full of excited chatting and laughing children. Quite a different affair from the first birthday he had spent with his wife, arriving barely in time for a dinner including him as the unannounced surprise guest. He smiled at the memory.

As the afternoon had slowly turned into evening, he and Jacob had excused themselves to tend to his beasts though. The woman stayed behind to continue talking, or rather: gossiping. Even his usually no-nonsense Tina had been roped into it, eager to hear what was going on in and outside the Ministry these days... the kind of news she would not get from the papers, of course.

His father had declined to join them as well, being busy with the children. Much to the surprise of everyone, the stern Ministry man with his neat appearance and frowns had become the baby sitter of choice on occasions such as this, happy to entertain the children when they didn't do so on their own. The presence of his grandchildren never failed to transform his father into a different person altogether... more smiles and laughter, less disapproving looks. A disturbing image at first, but these days Newt couldn't help smiling when he saw it.

"Yes, yes. I haven't forgotten you!" he called out to the Grindylows, shrieking at him from their habitat.

 

Jacob had already returned to the shed by the time he was finally done with the Tebos, fickle and moody creatures who still didn't trust him exactly. He sat on the wooden steps, sharing an apple with Dougal while waiting for him.

"I finished with the Mooncalves and even fed your Bowtruckles and the Nifflers," he announced proudly.

Newt nodded at him and charmed the growing pile of used buckets and bowls to clean themselves. "Thank you, Jacob. Your help is very much appreciated."

"Nothing to thank me for. So, how's things going with you?" the baker asked. "We haven't had a chance to chat in a while, pal."

Newt grimaced. "I know. The Ministry is keeping me quite busy right now." And wasn't that an understatement! It was fortunate that Tina's birthday had fallen on a Sunday, otherwise he probably couldn't have been with her. He didn't dare think about tomorrow's schedule, either.

"Yeah, Tina told me. Something 'bout... Dragons?" His friend grinned at him, knowing full well that most of what he did at work was _something 'bout Dragons_. After years of being married to a witch and friends with a Magizoologist, he had become comfortable with the idea of "mythical" creatures such as Dragons existing... though he had yet to actually see one of them. Maybe soon, though.

Now finished at the worktable, he joined his friend at the shed and plopped down on the steps with a grunt. "It's a nightmare. We're trying to establish a Dragon reservaton in Wales. You know, to have closer eye on the Welsh Greens. We don't need another Ilfracombe Incident... And to do more comprehensive studies as well. There's still so much we don't know about these creatures yet."

"Sounds like just the right thing for you, then!" Jacob exclaimed.

"I spent quite a few years campaigning for something like that," he admitted and smiled. "Finding the place for it hasn't been much trouble at all. There's so much uninhabited space up in the higher mountains there... ideal dragon territory and easy to hide from Muggles. The entire bureaucracy around it, though..." He sighed. "I'm thrilled the Ministry for once agreed to something I proposed, but if I had known beforehand about the amount of meetings, paperwork and time necessary to get it funded... I would have talked myself out of it right away."

Jacob laughed. "That's the government, for you. They like the plans, but they don't like providing the money."

Newt hummed in agreement. Truer words had never been spoken. "Right you are. We've been lucky though. My brother managed to convince the Minister and his Secretaries that it would be useful to have at least slightly domesticated Dragons at hand... should we have to go to war again, you see."

Jacob frowned. "I thought you wanted to study them, not train them for war?"

"And that's the plan, as far as I'm concerned." He shrugged. "But Dragons living in a reserve are more used to the presence of wizards than those captured for war purposes... therefore easier to handle." He had his share of knowledge on that particular topic... he'd spent the war years with the Dragon Corps after all. "I don't quite agree with the idea of using them, should worse come to worst, but it got us the means necessary to set up the reservation at all. And Welsh Greens are actually too subdued a breed to be of much use anyway... you'd want the bigger and more hostile ones for that."

His friend's frown persisted. "In that case..."

Newt smiled. "Sorry, that was not even an answer to your question, was it? Things are going great actually... I'm just complaining on a very high level here."

"Ah, we've all been there," Jacob laughed.

"So, how about you? How's the bakery? I haven't really been over at your place in weeks."

"Same old, same old," the baker chuckled. "The flour prices are still going up, but so do the daily sales. We're doing good, altogether." He paused for a moment. "And... I think Queenie might be pregnant again."

Newt grinned. "Really?"

"Well, she hasn't said anything yet, but... the symptoms are all there, you know?"

"That's great news, right?"

"Yeah, it is." The man frowned. "Or will be. I dunno." A low chuckle followed. "Another baby would be great, though! Always wanted to have a large family, ya know?"

Newt nodded. They had been over that particular topic way back when. "How do you manage, though? Three kids, that has be stressful. I mean, we only have one and he's not even running around yet... but Doran is a handful already. I can only imagine what it will be like when he gets older and even more curious."

His friend grinned. "The first is the hardest, you know. By the second you know at least in part what to expect. With the third, I guess, there's not much left you haven't been through already. And Sammy's gonna be five by then, so he can help out a little, too... be the big brother and all that."

He hummed in understanding. "I'm not sure I could handle three, though."

"I take it you have no plans for another little one, then?"

Newt frowned. "Not as of yet. Actually, Tina is planning to go back to work again next year."

"Really?"

He nodded. "Not as an Auror, yet. She has been out of training too long to just jump right back in, but she is determined to at least get back to the office. And Percy told her, she would be welcome to return to the Grindelwald Unit at any time... even if it was just to do their paperwork."

"And you're okay with that? I mean, I get that Tina loves work, but what about Doran?"

"Of course I'm okay with that! And we'll work something out for the baby. Once the reservation is ready, I could manage to get one more day off per week or work from home, my parents would be more than glad to take him for a day or two as well. And I don't think Tina would want to go in for a full five days per week, either." She'd miss her son too much for that. "It's still a few months, enough time to map out the details."

Jacob hummed in agreement. "Well, as long as you're _both_ happy with the decision, why not?"

"Don't worry," Newt replied. "I really wouldn't mind spending more time with my son, you know? Someone has to work to make a living for the family and right now that's all on me... but I don't see why that shouldn't change in the future, with both of us contributing." He chuckled. "And can you imagine Tina if I even tried to keep her from working?"

"Oh, I can," he admitted with a grin. "She's a Goldstein sister. I guess that would go much the same as me trying to forbid Queenie from doing something... It would not go over well at all."

"No, it would not."

Behind them, Queenie Kowalski stood in the open doorway to the shed, smiling sweetly. "So you better not even think about it, mistah."

Jacob swallowed. "Uhm. Hey, doll. When did you get down here?"

She chuckled and leaned down to kiss her husband's cheek. "I came to get you two. Gracia is just putting the finishing touches on our dinner, so we better hurry back. And Doran misses his daddy, I've been told." She floated back to the ladder with a giggle. "Now come on, youse!" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, just in time. I quite literally had this chapter written in two days and finished last night around 1 am. I hope it doesn't actually show >.<


	16. Part 2: Unexpected Words

"So... many... apples," she moaned as Newt set the, hopefully, last pail down by the kitchen door. "What are we gonna do with all that?"

After a pruning the year before, their apple tree had decided to be extra fruit-bearing this time around. So, what had started as a fun afternoon of apple picking last weekend had now turned into a full week of repeated harvesting before the fruit became too ripe.

Her husband chuckled and used the rolled-up shirt sleeve on his arm to wipe his brow. Over the course of the morning work, his hair had turned into a wild, reddish halo.

"Well, one of those goes to Jacob for his bakery," he said and then considered the amount of fruit now in and outside their kitchen for a moment. "Make that two. Queenie was the one to suggest we prune the tree in the first place... she should suffer with us."

Tina leaned against the doorway and chuckled softly. "You know we'll get those back in the form of endless applesauce cakes, though, right?"

A mischievous, lop-sided smile appeared on his face as he glanced at her from underneath his messy fringe. "Yes, but it won't be us having to make them..."

She giggled and shook her head. "Oh, you! Make sure she doesn't see that in your head when you bring them over or there will be no more cooking for either of us." And that would be a shame... no one could quite manage the magic of cooking like her sister did.

She regarded their apple harvest with a frown. "Two more buckets go into your case, I assume?"

Newt nodded. "Yes, Dougal is not the only one down there to enjoy fruit."

"Okay. That leaves me with... still way too much."

"We'll manage," he chuckled and stepped over the pile of apples to give her a short kiss. "I still need to put the ladder and pails away, but then I'll be in to help you with the sorting and storage."

"I sure hope so, mister."

Retreating with a grin, Newt grabbed one of the large, red fruit from the top of the pile and had a hearty bite before heading off into the garden again. She took a moment to watch him go back to work... all sweaty and dishevelled, since he'd been climbing through the upper branches of their apple tree all morning.

"Well, you know where to find me," she mumbled to herself and finally turned back into the kitchen.

Doran still was where she had left him: strapped into his high-chair and deep in conversation with his Kneazle friend. She took up one of the smaller buckets around and put it at the table to start sorting out the apples unsuitable for winter storage.

"I hope you still love your applesauce when you're eleven years old, little Mooncalf," she told him. "Because that's how long we'll be eating from this."

The baby watched her with interest for a while, ignoring the purring Kneazle just as much as the colourful toys in front of him.

"Mam-ma," he said.

The apple slipped from her hand and fell to the floor with a loud thud. "Mama?" she asked, unsure if she had heard him right. "Did you just call me Mama?"

"Mam-ma," Doran repeated again and laughed.

Tina flew from her seat and picked him up. "Mama. Yes, that's me," she exclaimed, holding him high before her as she spun in joy. "Oh, sweety. You're speaking!"

And his first word was her name. _Her_ name. Mama. Not dada. She felt the prickle of tears in her eyes as she cuddled her now grinning son close. Maybe she wasn't such a bad mother, after all...

"What's this then?"

She stopped spinning to find Newt standing by the half-open back door, three more apples held in his hand. For once she didn't care about the addition though.

"He said mama, Newt," she exclaimed with a grin and her tears spilt over. "His first word is mama!"

"Mam-ma," Doran dutifully repeated, now holding onto the collar of her blouse while giggling.

Newt's face split into a grin. 

 

* * *

 

It had grown quiet in the livingroom. Which meant that Doran had either fallen asleep or another escape attempt was imminent.

After a morning between the branches of their apple tree, Newt had made himself comfortable in the armchair to drink his cup of tea and read the latest edition of the _Daily Prophet_. Now, though, he carefully watched the baby and his new best friend from the corner of his eyes. He wanted to see where this would go. Without so much as a giggle, Doran slowly crawled in the general direction of the hallway while the Kneazle stood patiently by and watched his progress.

The creature followed him everywhere these days and watched over him protectively. Newt had made that discovery the hard way, when he had come into the nursery the one morning to sooth a teething Doran and had been met with a hissing and scratching Kneazle by the crib. For almost a week after that, only Tina had been allowed near their son. By now, he and the creature had reached a silent agreement, though... to tolerate each other for Doran's sake.

Newt let the little one make his way across the livingroom to the open door unhindered. A gleeful giggle finally announced his success at crossing the threshold into the vast floorspace beyond. Newt chuckled and let the baby roam for a bit as he continued reading an editorial. Inside the thoroughly babyproofed house and with his very own protector by his side, nothing much could happen anyway.

 

A brisk knock at the front door startled him from an article about the Ministry's new travel restrictions. Newt got up and walked out into the hallway, picking his son up as he went. The baby and Kneazle had been curiously investigating a pair of well-worn work boots by the kitchen.

"No," he said and grinned as he secured the boy in his arms. "You're not the first to try and fail chewing on those. Your stuffed toys taste so much better, anyway."

Still grinning, he opened the door to find Percival Graves.

"Oh, hello Percy!"

At the sudden sight of an unfamiliar person at their door, Doran hid his face against his neck. Newt was not surprised. After an initial phase of unbridled curiousity and smiles for everyone, his son had quite suddenly turned rather shy around strangers. And even though Graves had become a friend of the family in recent years, he was not around Doran often enough to qualify as a familiar face just yet. And in his dark, crisp robes, he did cut a slightly intimidating figure.

"Newt." The man inclined his head in greeting. "I was hoping to have a word with Tina. Is she home?"

"Uhm, no. She's out, gone to the market for some groceries."

The man hummed in understanding. "Any idea when she might be back?"

Newt shrugged. "She shouldn't be long now. Come on in, you can wait for her."

"Thank you."

Arms clasped behind his back, the Auror stepped through the door. He mustered the hiding child for a moment before smiling. "Well, you've grown up quite a bit since I last saw you, litte man."

Newt chuckled. "Well, it's been a while. Do you want to say hello to Uncle Percy, Doran?"

The boy in question sneaked a peek at the stranger before retreating back into the safety of his father's shirtcollar. Apparently, the answer was no.

"Don't take it personally, he's a bit shy right now," Newt explained with an apologizing smile and gestured for their guest to follow him into the (thankfully not too chaotic) livingroom. "Come on in, sit down. Would you like some tea?"

Percival pulled a slightly disgusted face, that made him chuckle. Tina had been much the same at the mention of tea, back in New York when they had still been tentatively courting each other. "Coffee it is, then. It's still a bit early for anything stronger, I'd say."

"Not when you're an Auror," Graves sighed and rubbed his face. "But coffee would be great. I've been up all night... again."

With a sympathising nod, Newt put Doran back down on the blanket to play with his toys. The Kneazle immediately settled down next to him, regarding their visitor with watchful eyes. "Don't attack that man," Newt told the creature and petted her head. "He's a friend."

"You got yourselves a new one, I see. Rescue case?"

"Something like that," he replied. "She's a stray, walked right up to Tina and Doran in the garden a few weeks ago and hasn't left since. Those two are nearly inseperable now." Newt looked at the boy and his Kneazle before remembering their guest. "Right, coffee. Would you mind keeping an eye on him for a moment?"

Graves gestured for him to go ahead.

The Auror was watching Doran with great interest when he returned, two cups of hot beverages in hand. Back now turned to Graves, the boy played with a set of wooden building blocks, his favourite toy of the hour, as the Kneazle till kept watch over the stranger in the house. The expression on Percival's face was almost... wistful.

"Your son's a quiet one," he remarked as Newt handed him his coffee.

"Only around people he doesn't know that well yet," he chuckled and settled back into his armchair. "You should attend those little family gatherings more often, Percy. Then you'd know all about it."

The man shook his head. "That's not my place, I'm just a friend of the family."

Newt sipped a cup of tea, keeping his thoughts on that matter strictly to himself.

"So," he started again, "what kind of confidential Auror business brings you here, then?"

Percy chuckled. "The paperwork kind. Your wife needs to sign some formalities before she can come back to the office next year." He paused for a moment. "You are aware of that plan, right?"

Newt nodded. "I am, yes."

"Good. She'll be a great help to us. Quinton has been doing the office work for the past months, but, to be honest, his organisational skills are not up to snuff. He's better in the field than at the desk."

"I know," he agreed. "Tina used to do the paperwork for both of them when they worked cases together."

Graves shook his head and laughed. "So, she's the actual culprit, then. Well, she'll have her work cut out for her, I'm afraid. The office is a mess."

He sipped his coffee and continued to watch Doran for a bit. The boy had made his way to Newt's feet by now and quietly worked on a newer archievement in development: pulling himself up into a stand. This time he used Newt's knee to do so, emitting a happy grunt when he had succeeded.

"Well done, little Mooncalf!" Newt exclaimed and engaged in a celebratory round of silly facial expression with his son now that they were a little closer to being face to face. Baby laughter filled the room, until Doran lost his grip and balance for a short moment and landed back on his rear.

"Oh!" Graves exclaimed with worry and sprung up from the couch, but the little one just pouted for a moment and pulled himself up again. Graves returned to his seat, an embarrassed blush on his face. Newt smirked at the sight. The older Auror did have a soft heart under that life-hardenen shell of his.

"You know, he spoke his first actual word today," he told him. "He called Tina _mama_. She was over the moon."

The Auror smiled. "I can imagine. That's quite a milestone, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." He turned to look at his son. "You'll be grown up soon, won't you?"

Doran babbled happily, though no new words emerged just yet. While one hand gripped tightly at his trouser leg to keep upright, he raised the other arm up to him. A gesture Newt knew very well by now. He even started babbling louder when Daddy didn't react immediately to his demands.

"Alright, alright. Up you go," he finally gave in. 

He pulled his son into his lap where the boy promptly curled against him to hide himself away from the stranger. Newt chuckled and petted the dark head burrowing into his chest.

"I'm pretty sure, he thinks you can't see him while he can't see you," he told his visitor.

"Fascinating little creatures," Percival noted. "I've never been much around children, especially one this young."

"Good thing you caught him on a good day, then. He's been teething... lots of drool and crying involved there."

The man grimaced. "Drool and tears. That doesn't make it seem quite so... appealing anymore."

Newt chuckled. "What, you've been thinking about having another one?"

Percival grew very quiet. He sat frozen on the couch when Newt looked at him, straight-backed and tense with the cup of coffee halfway to his mouth. Only his eyes moved as the questioning look of an Auror searched him.

It was only then that Newt realised what he had said. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Eh, I mean... You've been thinking about having a family, then? I'm sure, lots of witches on two continents will be happy to hear such news."

Graves blinked and slowly set his cup back down onto the table. Then he almost folded in on himself, head hanging between his knees. A deep sigh followed. All the tension and energy suddenly seemed to have gone out of him.

"Who else knows?" he asked. The man sounded very, very tired.

Newt took in the unexpected sight before him for a moment. Percival Graves... looked like a man defeated.

"Who?" Graves repeated in a whisper.

"Tina," he finally said. "Queenie, too, I believe. I can't be sure about the rest of them."

Percival nodded slowly and exhaled slowly. "What are you going to do about it?"

Newt blinked in confusion. "What?"

Unexpectedly hard eyes looked up at him as the Auror sharply repeated his question. "What are you going to do with your knowledge, Newt?"

"Nothing." He shook his head. "I've known for years, Percy. Why would I say something now?"

A deep frown etched itself onto the man's face as his words sunk in. "But... How? We've been careful. How could you possibly have known for years?"

Newt sighed and got up to return Doran to his feline playmate. This conversation was not one he could have with only half of his attention on the topic.

"Because-" he explained softly after returning to his seat, "-I put the pieces together. I was one of the very few who knew about their troubles, Percy. Six years... Then they make a new friend in you... a close friend. And suddenly the impossible has happened. The leap was not hard to make."

Percival closed his eyes with a pained groan and rested his head in both his hands, shaking it in disbelief. Newt was completely at a loss about what to do. He had never been good at reading people other than Tina, much less comforting them. If it were her, he would gather her in his arms and hold her close... but he couldn't very well do that with Percival Graves.

"Percy..." The Auror shook his head vehemently and Newt kept silent.

After a much too long while of deep breaths and exhales the usually so confident man managed to look at him again. His eyes were wide, agitated. 

"Why-," he croaked and paused. He swallowed heavily before continuing. "Why, in the name of Deliverance Dane, would _you_ of all people stay quiet about this? You do realise what it means..."

Newt felt the urge laugh out loud at the false assumption... but he refrained for his friend's sake. Some deeply hidden intuition told him, it wouldn't be a proper reaction in this situation.

"Of course, I do," Newt said instead and slowly shook his head, not quite manging to keep a smile of his face after all. "I don't want any of it, Percy. Never have, never will. Trust me, all of us are a lot happier with the way things are." 

He nodded and swallowed.

"What about Tina, though?" he interjected quietly. "Does she even know? Surely, she'd-"

Newt chuckled. "Can you actually see her wanting to live on an Estate like the Manor? No. Tina is, to put it in her own words, a simple gal with simple needs. She was just as relieved as I was when they told us the happy news."

He leaned forward and touched Graves' shaking shoulder to calm him. "Your secret is safe, Percy. Flora is safe."

Percival took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as he tried to steady his frayed nerves. "She's safe?"

He nodded. "She's safe. We don't talk about it. We don't tell anyone. No one will take her name or status from her."

Graves nodded with him for a moment before dropping his head back in his hands. Newt wasn't quite sure if his shoulders shook with a chuckle or from quiet sobbing.

He mustered him with concern for a moment, then got up and walked over to the cabinet in the back corner of the livingroom. Moments later, he returned and handed the Auror a glass of Firewhiskey. "Here, drink this. Something a little stronger."

The man nodded in thanks and downed the glass in one go before falling back against the backrest of the couch.

"Better?"

"Slightly."

He slowly calmed down again after Newt refilled the glass for the second time.

"You really... don't care? For any of it?" Percival finally asked in disbelief. Newt shook his head. "Thes said something along those lines but... it's hard to believe."

"You really couldn't have done me a bigger favour, actually. Knowing that I'd remain Theseus' heir indefinitly wasn't exactly a thought that made me smile, you know. I don't do well in those circles and prefer to stay out of it as much as possible."

"So, you don't mind that she's actually... mine?" The last word was a mere whisper.

Newt shook his head. "As long as all was... censensual between you three, why should I?" He paused for a moment. "My brother is aware, right?" 

Strangely, Graves blushed. "Of course, he is."

He chuckled. "Then, why should I mind if he doesn't? For all I care, the three of you should actually try to give me another niece or nephew... just to make sure I won't have to come into that dreaded inheritance at all."

Graves gaped at him before he poured himself another glass of Firewhiskey and downed it.

"Oh, I'm just kidding, Percy. One niece is fine. Just make sure, nothing happens to her."

The Auror swallowed. "It's, uhm. It's not confirmed yet, but... you might be lucky there."

Newt frowned. "What-? Oh!" He chuckled. "I'm going to be an uncle again?"

Percival nodded. "As far as I know, yes. So..." Suddenly, that piercing Auror gaze was on him again. "You need to watch your tongue if you really want to keep this secret, Newt. One wrong word like that... and to the wrong person... A lot of people will end up unhappy."

"I know."

Doran chose that moment start crying. Newt whipped around at the sound, finding him not on his blanket but lying near the door where he seemed to have bumped his head. He was by his side immediately to pick him up.

"Oh, it's alright, my little Mooncalf," he comforted the baby and gently checked him over for any injuries. Nothing. He was, however, rather tired. "Shhh. Did you bump your head? Yes, that hurts. I know, love."

Newt glanced at the clock in cringed inwardly. Of course, he was tired. It was way past his usual nap time. He looked at his guest. "Percy, I need to lay him down for his nap. You'll be okay on your own for a bit?" 

Percival nodded. "Sure."

"Alright. Tina should be back soon." He quickly made his way upstairs, wailing child in his arms. 

 

By the time he had finished calming Doran down and got him into bed, Tina had indeed returned from her trip to the stores. He found her standing at the livingroom door, staring and trying to stifle a laugh. 

"What's this?" she asked him with a chuckle, gesturing into the livingroom. Percy had passed out sitting on their couch, snoring lightly.

"He had a long day," Newt said and went in to pull a blanket over the sleeping Auror. 

Tina followed him in and picked up the half-empty bottle of whiskey. "It's two in the afternoon... and this one was nearly full." 

Newt grimaced in apology, gently pulled her back into the hallway and closed the door behind them. "I'll fill you in later. But trust me, he needed it."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Percival is Flora's biological father. Who of you guessed it correctly after my hints in chapter 4? ^^ 
> 
> Edit to answer a few questions I recently got on tumblr:  
> \- If that piece of information ever were to become public, it would be a huge scandal in the upper wizarding class… most likely resulting in Arabella being branded as an adulteress, the child becoming a bastard and Theseus losing all he worked for so hard (including his job). That is why Percival doesn’t want anyone to find out about it and reacts so distraught… the three people he loves would suffer immensely if Newt were to tell anyone.  
> \- Why would Newt have reason to tell, though? With no legitimate children from Theseus, Newt would be his only heir and inherit the entire Scamander Estate when his brother dies… I’m sure a lot of people would love to get such an inheritance. But that is something Newt really really does not want, as already stated in AMMC.  
> \- But… poor Theseus with his wife cheating on him? Nope, no cheating involved here. All parties involved are very well aware of what’s going on. I only barely hinted at it, but all three of them actually share a bed on occasion.  
>   
> I did plan on writing a sidefic about those three to go with this revelation... but time is of short supply lately. I can barely keep up with this fic and my October Prompts as it it.


	17. Part 3: A Special Day

Fall took England with big strides during the first days of October and for a few brief weeks every year, the view from their cottage became a colourful spectacle. The trees and bushes that were dotted all over the rolling hills of Dorset changed from a deep green into all variations and combination of yellow, orange and red. And it wasn't long after that the first leaves began to fall too, covering the paths below in evergrowing layers that crunched underneath their feet-

Doran was utterly fascinated by this, babbling and pointing at each and every colourful leaf that caught his eye from up high. And Tina, carrying her son securely strapped to her chest in a sling, had to pick them up for him to inspect, of course. The collection of bright leaves now stuck to the nursery wall grew steadily.

The leaves were not the only thing catching the eyes of her little explorer, though. Her baby wanted to touch and see everything these days. From the mossy bark of a nearby tree to the swarms of gnats hovering over a puddle. And then there were the squirrels with their bushy tails and vibrant reddish-brown fur, that Mummy just would not catch for him to pet and cuddle... Needless to say, what was supposed to be just an hour of fresh air often turned into whole afternoons spent out of the house. And the gray-spotted Kneazle followed behind at a short distance.

The arrival of those warm autumn colours also brought a new cold with them, though, and before they knew it, the season had proceeded to November. The last golden days of summer and autumn were long gone by then, making way for a dreary and overcast sky. That was, whenever neither fog nor rain won the upper hand.

Tina Scamander blinked awake very early on this special morning in November. It was still dark inside the bedroom, though a quick glance to the window told her that it would not remain so for long. The deep dark of night had already been drained to a darker shade of gray, meaning that dawn would not be far off now. _Time to get up._

She gently disentangled herself from Newt's arms, who was still deeply asleep, and quietly slipped out of bed. Eventually, her feet brought her down into the kitchen. A deep yawn escaped her after she had lighted the hearth and stove with a silent _Incendio_ , filling the room with warmth and a comfortable light. And not long after, the smell of coffee began to waft through the air, clearing her senses and waking her just as much as the dark liquid itself. Both hands wrapped around a mug of coffee, she settled down at the kitchen table and watched the day approach. 

Due to her long-cherished fondness for a lie-in, Tina did not often get the house to herself like this... still and silent, with the rest of her family there but still lost to their dreams. Most mornings she woke to find coffee and breakfast waiting with both her husband and son already up and chatting animatedly. This was a nice change though. At least on mornings such as this, when her inner clock kicked her out of bed far earlier than usual.

She finished her coffee in peace, then rose to search through the pantry, humming to herself as she gathered what ingredients were needed for her breakfast plans. And soon the kitchen filled with the smells and sounds of cooking. She still wasn't the best of cooks around and gladly let Newt take over those duties most days... but breakfast was the one thing she managed to pull off without a hitch.

It was only just light enough outside to be called day by the time she had finished and set the table for three. They needed to get an early start today, though, if they wanted to finish their usual suitcase duties before the inevitable slew of guests arrived on their doorstep. Still, there were no signs or sounds of Newt waking as she made her way upstairs again... But she knew someone else would be up already by now.

"Good morning," Tina trilled softly upon entering the nursery.

As predicted, her son was already awake and talking to his Kneazle in as low a voice as a toddler could manage. A flock of bright orange flutterbys had gathered around the crib, fluttering excitedly along the walls as the boy babbled and giggled.

She grinned and looked inside the baby's crib to find her son sitting up already and his Kneazle cuddled close to him. "Hello, you two."

Doran was happy to see her. "Mama!" he exclimed with a big smile as he reached for her, followed by still new word. "Up!"

Tina chuckled and took her son from the bed, greeting him with a cuddle and a kiss. "Yes, Mama's here... and you know just how to get her to do your bidding, don't you?"

He flashed her another big smile, exposing the few teeth that had already made their appearance. It hit her then, just how much her baby had grown up since she'd held that tiny little bundle of newborn human in her arms... a year ago now.

"Oh, my little Mooncalf." She cuddled him close again and smiled. "You don't even know what day it is today, do you?" Doran answered with an unintelligable string of syllables. "It's your birthday, yes!"

He giggled as she walked over to the changing table to start their morning routine and soon fell back to babbling excitedly.

"Oh, is that so?" she wondered enthusiastically, encouraging her son to continue his nonsense tales.

Her baby – no, her toddler – didn't use many actual words yet, but he slowly got closer to it... and only practise made perfect. Right now, his babbling sounded more like some outlandish language rather than the Queen's (or even the American's) English but babies and small toddlers often sounded like someone from the most remote corner of the world, as Jacob had put it a while back. Speaking in a language entirely of their own. Tina, having been to some of those remote places herself in the past years, readily agreed with that assessment.

"You don't say! How about we put those clothes back on now, hm?"

The boy happily agreed to work with her for a bit. He listened intently as she told him exactly what they would put on next and even tried to repeat some of the words. Not always were they the right ones, but still.

"And now, we'll put on your socks," she explained while doing so. "And then we're done!"

"Oc," Doran exclaimed and reached for his now sock-clad foot. "Oc!" he repeated and tried to pull it off his foot again.

"Yes, that's your sock," she told him, wrangling with the second baby foot. "And the sock goes on your foot."

"Oc!" The first sock was now in his hand... and on its way to his mouth.

"No no, Mooncalf." She tried to pull the garment from his fingers, but a short tug-of-war ensued between them. Babies were surprisingly strong... but soon a victorious Tina could put the knit fabric back over his little toes. "The sock goes back on your foot."

Doran giggled and began to tug at it again, but this time Tina was faster. She caught his hand and distracted him with some strategic tickling.

"And the sock stays on your foot now," she grinned, "because that's where it belongs, little man."

She picked up her freshly cleaned and redressed toddler, still giggling, and gave him a loud smooch to the nose. "Happy birthday, Doran Nathanael Scamander."

 

On their way to breakfast, they encountered a sleep-wrinkled Newt in the hallway. He was still in his pyjamas, hair standing up in all directions as he yawned loudly.

"Dada!" A slow smile spread on his face as he laid eyes on them.

"Good morning, Doran," he said and came over to put a kiss to his dark locks. "Did Mummy wake you early on your birthday?"

"I did not," she informed her husband in mock outrage and looked at her son. "What is Daddy talking about, hm? You were already wide awake and telling the most interesting tales to your friends."

"Ah. Of course, you were," he chuckled and ruffled the boy's hair. "Early bird."

Doran laughed and clutched at his head in response, trying and so far failing to repeat his father's affectionate action.

"Good morning, love," Newt continued and put his arms around her. His words were followed by a kiss and Tina closed her eyes in bliss for a moment. "I missed you... just came out to investigate where you had gone off to so early."

Tina grinned. "Hey. As you can see, I was with another man."

Newt hummed in reply as she mustered her two men for a moment and grinned. "Looks like we're all having breakfast in our pyjamas today, huh?"

The sleepy Magizoologist shrugged and smiled. "That's what Sundays are for... Are those pancakes I smell?"

"They are. So, you better hurry or there'll be none left for you, Mr. Scamander." Tina winked at him and turned to walk down the stairs with a gleefully giggling child in her arms.

 

* * *

 

The child's giggle and laughter could be heard from afar as Tina returned from one of the habitats in the back. She found Newt standing by the shed, peering around the corner of the building to watch Doran unnoticed. He turned to her with a smile when he heard her approach.

"Look," he said, gesturing towards the meadow wher ethey had spread out a blanket for him. 

After breakfast and happily eating one of daddy's pancakes, the birthday boy spent the better part of the morning down in the magical suitcase with them. Both Tina and Newt kept an eye on him, of course, but there the boy was not only surrounded by some of his favourite toys but by his most trusted friends, too: a Kneazle, a Demiguise and a litter of five half-grown Nifflers. And if those didn't keep him occupied and entertained, Dougal could be counted on to keep their son out of the more dangerous situations... for now.

Tina stepped closer and took a peek around the corner as well. Miraculously, Doran had stayed put on the blanket for the past hourm though, instead of venturing out to explore. His toys, she noticed immediately, were gone, though.

"Where-?"

"Wait and see," her husband chuckled.

And see she did. One of the Niffler babies had crawled up to Doran and her son began to pet it gently while cooing at him. The furry black creature purred happily in response and after a few more moments reached into its pouch to retrieve one of the missing toys.

"Oh, those cunning little thieves," Tina chuckled and shook her head. The apparent magic trick caused Doran to giggle in delight and made him pet the creature some more. Much like their parents, the baby Nifflers loved to be tickled and petted... and now had developed a perfect approach to getting what they wanted, it seemed. "How long have they been at it?"

"A while, I'd say." Newt grinned.

Tina observed the scam for a few more minutes. Niffler after Niffler approached Doran, who stroked and caressed them gleefully for the reward of another toy or two, that he put on a small pile next to him. Behind his back though, the already petted creatures snuck up to steal them again and then got back in line for another round of getting their fur stroked.

"I'm not sure if I should be impressed or outraged by this," she admitted. It was an ingenious plan, really, but at the expense of her little baby boy. 

"I'm going with amused, love. It's all in good fun and no one gets hurt." 

Tina hummed in agreement and finally took her eyes of the spectacle to look at her husband. They had all changed from pyjamas to more suitable clothing after breakfast, but his hair still remained a lovely, unkempt mess. _Not unlike a bird's nest..._

Something green and leafy moved between the strands before Pickett appeared, waving down at her with a chirp. _Or a Bowtruckle's nest._ _  
_

Newt chuckled. "If anything, it should keep our little explorer occupied for a while longer. He loves toys and petting animals... the furrier, the better."

"He is definitely taking after you, you know?" she observed. "Doran, I mean."

"Really? I think he looks more and more like you, actually," Newt replied. "The nose, the hair, that grin... He'll have my eyes though. They've started to turn green now, have you noticed?"

Tina nodded. "He's got your brow, too, according to your father at least. I wasn't talking about his looks, though." She gestured at the scene before them. "See, our son is a creature charmer like you. Already more furry friends than human ones."

Newt hummed thoughtfully. "He's only a year old, though. I'm sure that will change as he gets older. And he should get on well enough having a number of cousins to grow up with at least... unlike me."

Something in the timbre of his voice resonated with her and she turned her head to look at him. "You're worried about it," she stated, as sudden understanding hit her. "That Doran will grow up to be just like you." Someone whose love for creatures isolates him from his peers.

"I'm not really _worried_ , love." He shook his head and smiled, but Tina didn't miss the frown that he tried to mask with it. "Like I said, he won't be growing up alone around here. And Doran's a real people charmer as well. He'll easily make lots of other friends, if he wants to."

"Yeah, I'm sure he will."

But then again, most babies were real people charmers at this age. And while some stayed that way all throughout their life, others outgrew that phase again. But it was no good to dwell on this just yet... Doran would grow up to be his own person no matter what. People charmer or not.

"It's been a whole year now," Newt said, a mixture of wonder and awe colouring his voice. "Can you believe it, love?"

"I know." Tina smiled as her eyes drifted back towards their now not so little Mooncalf. It was hard to believe that it had already been a year since she'd given birth. It felt like only a few weeks ago... though, on second thought, those first few months had seemed endless to her. "I'm just glad we managed to keep him alive for this long."

"Yes," he agreed. "Somehow we managed that. Only eleven more years to go now before he's leaving the nest..."

 

* * *

 

Early afternoon saw the little cottage near Fishpond Bottom fill with talk and laughter as their family arrived to celebrate Doran's first birthday with them. It wasn't much of a party, really. Just a little get-together with a few presents and a cake. But it was enough to put an awed expression on their son's face.

So many people smiling and talking to him. So many people giving him new toys to play with. So much wrapping paper to crinkle and roll around in. Doran loved all the attention he got... for a while at least. As it often was with him, the incredible excitement soon tipped over into a fuzzy kind of exhaustion. Around two hours into the celebrations found Doran curled up with his Kneazle friend again. 

"You're getting real tired of all this, huh?" Jacob asked with a chuckle. As so often on these gatherings, her brother-in-law and Perseus were keeping the kids entertained with magical games. But Doran was ignoring all of it in favour of cuddling his pet. By himself. The boy did not deign to answer his uncle, either.

"He's probably just tired. This must all be a bit much for the little one," Gracia remarked and, smiling, watched her youngest son go and pick the child up. Doran snuggled against his father's shoulder immediately, blinking owlishly at the table of grown-up visitors staring up at him. 

"Yes, he's tired alright," Tina agreed. No wonder. "Nap time's overdue already, it's it, Doran?"

Newt turned to look at her, sleepy child securely wrapped in his arms. "I'll take him upstairs. He could do with a nappy change, too."

She nodded. "Okay. Thanks, darling. And sleep well, little Mooncalf." She waved at her baby, but Doran did not wave back as usual, tired as he was.

"You don't want to say bye to Mummy?" Newt asked him softly. The baby curled further into his shoulder and yawned in reply. "Alright then, I'll bring you upstairs, little man. Time for that second nap, hm? Come on."

He kept talking quietly at the boy as they made their way out of the livingroom and Tina couldn't help the smile spreading over her face. Watching Newt cooing at his son, being a father to him in general, always had that effect on her.

"Newt is really good with him," Gracia stated as the two had vanished out of sight.

"I know," Tina sighed, then chuckled softly. "But what did you expect? He's had lots of practice mothering his creatures."

Her mother-in-law smiled. "Yes, he did. He always liked taking care of creatures, really, even as a boy. That and running off on adventures."

Queenie giggled. "So he hasn't changed at all, you mean."

"Not really," the older witch replied and grinned. "We really should have known back then that our Newton wouldn't be content with some desk job in the Ministry. I'm frankly surprised he's made it this long in the office now without getting itchy feet again." 

Tina shrugged. "It was his decision not to travel with another Auror Escort. But he's doing alright so far, there's been enough adventure for him at home."

A wistful smile flitted over Gracia's expression. "Ah yes... the first one is always quite the adventure."

"And you better believe that there are lots of study notes, too," she added with a grin. 

"I just have to ask, Tina... Are there any plans for Doran to get a little brother or sister?"

"Uh, no. Not yet, anyway." _Possibly not ever_ , she added in her mind, thinking back on those first few horrible months. She was not sure if she would want to go through something like that again. "Doran is quite enough to manage for now."

"I see." Tina could not fail to hear a slight note of disappointment in her voice, though.

That was the moment Arabella chose to join their conversation. "Well, it's not like you're lacking in grandchildren these days, Gracia." She pointed a hand at Queenie, who was showing already with her third child, then back at herself. "Another two on the way." 

Queenie chuckled and shook he rhead. "Technically, this one's-"

"Wait, what do you mean by _two_?" Gracia Scamander exclaimed and then gaped at her daughter-in-law. " _Merlin's beard_ , are you-?" 

Arabella bit her lip as she realised the blunder, though it couldn't keep the smile at bay as she nodded. "Yes, I'm pregnant again."

"Oh, that is such wonderful news, Bella!"

The former Goldstein sisters smirked at each other knowingly as Gracia pulled the witch into a firm hug. "We've known for a few weeks now," Arabella explained softly. "I thought Theseus would have told you already."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday, Doran Nathanael Scamander!


	18. Part 3: Selma

As the month of November reached its end, the wintry cold had gained a firm and unshakable grip on Dorset.

It was early on the last Friday of the month, when an owl arrived by their kitchen window and tapped its beak impatiently against the glass to get their attention. Newt eyed it over the edge of the morning paper and recognised the beast immediately. It was a well-kept brown and white barn owl, in service of the Ministry.

"I'll get it," he sighed, wondering what the Bureau could possibly want from him that could not wait another half hour until he got there in person. "So much for a nice and quiet family breakfast."

Tina chuckled. "At least you won't be stuck behind your desk today when they're writing to you this early."

Newt cast a look outside to see the dark and endless cover of clouds still emptying themselves over the country. He shook his head. "I'm not sure if I look forward to a day out today." _Not in this dreadful weather._

He opened the window and offered his arm for the unfortunate messenger to hop on to. The owl hooted at him in thanks and gladly took the opportunity to get out of the wet cold.

"Hello you," he greeted the familar bird and took her inside. "Let's see what you got for me, then." The owl flapped her wings to dry them as Newt unbound the letter from her leg.

"Daaaaa!" Doran squealed in delight when he noticed the new arrival and excitedly pointed his little spoon in the general direction of the creature, splattering his porridge and applesauce everywhere in the process. "Daaaa!" His son's early enthusiasm made him grin.

"Yes, Daddy's got an owl," he heard Tina explain as he focussed on soothing the bird on his arm. High-pitched baby squeals were hard to endure for most people, and even more so for creatures with sensitive hearing such as owls. This one bore it better than most, though. 

He offered the bird a treat from the jar on the shelf before opening the window to get the messenger back on its again, but she only hooted at him and stubbornly remained perched on his arm. _Expecting a reply, then._

A frown crossed his face as he mustered the letter while carrying both creature and correspondance back to the table. Much to his surprise, it was not addressed to himself. _Porpentina Scamander_ , it read instead. The handwriting looked familiar, as well.

"It's for you, love."

"Me?" Tina gazed at the creamy parchment and frowned at him. "From Graves."

Newt nodded. "You better read it, then. He's expecting an answer, it seems."

"Dada?" Doran stared at the regal bird he still carried. The baby's breakfast lay forgotten before him now. What was still left of the mush anyway. The boy slowly stretched out his arm... as if asking for permission to pet it.

Newt looked at the owl. "Do you mind being petted by him?" She hooted in response but made no efforts to get away. He nodded and smiled at the bird. "Thank you."

"Alright, little man." He crouched next to Doran in his high-chair, who still looked at the bird with wide eyes. Despite growing up with a Kneazle in his bed and a case full of magical creatures in the house, he had yet to see an owl from up close. "This is Martha. Beautiful, isn't she? She's a barn owl and you can pet her if you like."

Martha eyed the boy with just as much curiosity as he did her and hooted again. Doran giggled at the sound, but did not dare to do more. _No wonder, the owl must look huge to him._

"She won't hurt you, Mooncalf. You can pet her like this, see." He gently stroked the back of a finger over the bird's feathers, careful not to ruffle them. "You want to try, too?"

Doran reached out to try, but hesitated at the last moment. Instead, Martha moved a little closer and encouraged him with a soft hoot. And then his little fingers bumped against the soft feathers. The boy gasped in surprise.

"It's really soft, isn't it?" Newt let his finger glide along the owl's wing again and Doran copied him, grinning widely. "Yes, just like that."

After a few more repetitions, his gaze went from his son over to Tina, who was now watching them with a small smile. He raised an eyebrow in question, nodding towards the parchment she still held in her hands.

"They want me to start early," she told him. "Tomorrow, if possible."

"Tomorrow?"

She nodded. "It's short notice, I know. But Quint is... He hasn't reported back from his last mission, so he's missing. They're an Auror short on an already too small team."

Newt swallowed. He shifted, moving himself between the high-chair and table to see her without the obstruction of wings and chubby little arms. "But... you're not going back to fieldwork yet, are you, love?"

"Of course not." Tina smiled and reached for his free hand to squeez it gently. "Office work only for now, as agreed. "

He breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that day would inevitably come and he wouldn't be able to do anything to keep her from going after criminals and fanatics again... but he'd prefer it were much later rather than tomorrow. And with Quinton Derwent missing it would only be a matter of time until they called on her for missions as well. 

"They still need me, darling. My being there's gonna free up the person doing the office work in Quint's stead now, to do the necessary fieldwork..." She bit her lip. "So, tomorrow. Do you think you could-?"

He nodded. "Of course, I'll take care of Doran tomorrow. We can go on from there. I'm sure neither Queenie nor my Mother will mind babysitting our son a month earlier than planned." 

Tina smiled at him. "Thank you, Newt." 

 

* * *

 

Tina left the house just before half past eight the next morning, properly dressed for work at the Ministry in her good blouse and slacks. Despite her having woken up late, Newt had seen to it that she was properly fed as well, preparing her a breakfast to go with her more important cup of dark coffee.

"I'll be back by three," she explained as they stood in front of the fireplace. "Four at the latest. They won't keep me longer on my first day back."

Newt nodded and watched her stoke up the fire. "Alright. And we'll be right here waiting."

He hugged Doran a little closer as the baby tried to get from his arms to hers. "No, not today, Mooncalf," he explained softly. Whenever they Flooed to visit family, it was usually Tina who carried their son through the hearth... Doran was understandably a little confused by this new development. "Mummy's going to work today and we'll stay here."

Doran's chipper morning talk had turned to a questionining babble by now that wouldn't stop no matter how much they explained to him why Mummy was apparently going on her own. "Mamma?"

She gave a watery smile when she noticed the boy's deepening frown. "Yes, it's strange for me too, Mooncalf... leaving without you. But Mummy's gonna be back soon. Promise." She returned to them one more time and pressed another kiss to Doran's head. "I'm gonna miss you today, little man."

Newt cleared his throat trying to hide a chuckle, causing her to look up at him with a knowing smile. "Yes, I'm gonna miss you too, husband."

"So will I. Have a good day at work, love." He smirked into their now third good-bye kiss before Tina finally moved back to the hearth and took up the jar of Floo powder. The flames turned green as she threw the powder into the fire.

"Let's wave Mummy goodbye, alright?" He waved and so did Doran, although reluctantly. "Bye, Mummy."

"Baba," the boy repeated.

Tina turned one more time to wave back at them and smile before stepping into the flames herself. She composed herself quietly before speaking her destination loud and clearly.

"Ministry of Magic." A pillar of roaring green flames swallowed her up.

Doran gasped and for a good long while stared at the fireplace where his Mummy had vanished without him.

"It's alright. Mummy will be back later," he explained and smiled at the toddler. "You know how this works, don't you? Daddy has always come back from the green flames when he goes to work. And so will Mummy."

His words seemed to calm the boy somewhat. "Dada?" he asked hopefully, pointing at the fireplace.

"No, Mooncalf," he chuckled and shook his head with a grin."You and I are staying home today." He spun around to leave the room and start their day, nearly tripping over the Kneazle that had been waiting by the kitchen door.

"So... What would you like to do first, little man?"

 

He kept his worktime in the suitcase to a minimum that morning, pushing most of the deferrable maintenance tasks to the evening. It was not too often he got to spent time with Doran all by himself, espeically not this long, and he wanted to make the most of it.

He weaved through the small flock of Diricawls on his way back to the shed, dropping a half-empty pail of fodder onto the wheelbarrow before hopping up the steps to the habitat that once housed a rescue case Hippogriff. Today it was home to a small human and his furry friends... though apparently the young Nifflers had chosen to remain in their burrow for the time being. It was only Doran and their Kneazle today, under the ever-watchful eyes of Dougal.

"Thank you for looking after him," he told his old friend as he approached the group and offered him an apple. The Demiguise blinked slowly and cooed in response before taking the fruit and vanishing from sight. Newt grinned and watched the hovering apple retreat to the Demiguise nest while it steadily grew smaller.

Despite Tina's earlier doubts, the Demiguise had turned out to be a willing and capable babysitter for their son. At least while they were down here in the suitcase. Ever since his first visit to the case, the Demiguise had made sure none of the other creature would pester the baby... and later-on saw to it that Doran would not pester the other creatures too much with his curiosity.

Back then, he had still been allowed to crawl around the area surrounding the shed while his parents took care of the other inhabitants. But after a nearly harmful incident with the Diricawl mother hen back in September they had agreed to keep Doran in his own habitat... and the meadow behind the shed was the perfect place to keep a curious toddler happy.

Within the domains of the recreated Dorset meadow, a crawling Doran merrily chased after his Kneazle, calling out and giggling wildly. As so often down here, his toys lay forgotten on the blanket Newt had put out earlier.

"I see you're busy, Mooncalf. Should I come back later, then?"

"Dada!" Doran stopped his chase immediately and sat back to raise his little arms. "Up! Up!"

Newt grinned and picked the child up on his way, earning him a gleeful giggle. Yes, the little bugger always got his wishes, didn't he?

"Come on, you," Newt chuckled. "You can pester Daddy now and let your friend have a bit of quiet time while we're down here." The poor Kneazle would sure appreciate not being shrieked and laughed at for a bit, not to mention being chased by a speedy crawler such as Doran Scamander.

Father and son returned to the blanket right in the middle of the meadow and settled down for a bit of playtime. Doran repeatedly kept pulling himself up into a stand though, using Newt's shoulders and hands as a crutch move left or right. Anything but playing with his father, it seemed.

"You'd rather go explore a bit than sit around here, hm?" But Doran looked past his shoulder at something behind his back. "What have you seen now, little man?"

"Sel!" Newt turned his head to find the Kneazle curled up not far away, using the toddler break to doze in peace.

He grinned at his son. "Yes, that's our Kneazle. She's sleeping, so we better be careful not to wake her up."

"Sel!" It had been a new word for about a week now, after the more prominent ones of _Mama_ , _Dada_ and _Up._ And he was not surprised at all that 'Kneazle' made it into the first few words Doran learned to say. 

It was still fascinating to see and hear his son slowly but surely learn to communicate. At first it was only little gestures and facial expressions that gave any clue what the little one was feeling. Then he became more vocal including laughter and different types of emotional cooing and crying to make his wishes known. It wasn't long before he used copied gestures and sounds as well and now... now he was learning to form and use actual words. All within barely more than a year. 

Granted, his babbling still consisted mostly of nonsense syllables. But every now and then something turned out to be a word with meaning to others as well. 

"Oh, what are you up to now?" Doran had slowly shuffled around him, from his chest to his back, always holding on to his shoulders so as not to fall. But now the small hands gripping at his clothing were gone. He carefully turned to find Doran standing on his own, eyes full of determination as he looked to the dozing Kneazle. 

"Sel," he nearly whispered... and took a first step. All by himself. 

Newt watched him, slack-jawed. The little sideways steps, sliding along whatever object he could get a secure grip on, had been going on for a while now. And he gleefully took steps for anyone who would hold him up by both hands. But never, ever had he seen his son take steps unaided.  _This is incredible!_

The boy was about four unsteady but determined steps closer to the Kneazle by now. And she was watching the spectacle with as much interest as he himself did. On the fifth step, Doran lost his balance and landed on his rear again. He sniffed and tried his best to get up standing again. Grinning like a mad man, Newt finally got a move on and shifted forward to help his baby boy up again.

"Oh! Well done, Doran!" he exclaimed when he had pulled himself into a stand again. "You're walking!" 

The boy replied with a string of syllables and grinned back at him. 

"Do you want to try one more step, Mooncalf?" he asked, and took away one of the supporting hands. "One more step for Daddy?" 

"Dada!" Doran giggled, but stayed put. 

_Apparently not._ He tried another incentive. "One more step closer to Sel?" 

"Sel!" The toddler beamed and looked at the Kneazle again. And then he took one more step before letting go of Newt's hand altogether for the next. 

He chuckled. "Of course... Sel is a far better reason to walk than Daddy's smile. Daddy smiles at just about everything you do, doesn't he?"

This time his son managed six whole steps before gravity got the better of him. He was only about two more steps from his destination,though, so that seemed good enough for the toddler to not try again. Doran crawled the remaining few inches and draped himself across the Kneazle in a full-body hug. And to Newt's surprise she started to purr happily and flicked her tail...

_Like a proud Mama,_ he couldn't help to think. His smile fell. Tina would be so disappointed to have missed this, he knew. And on her first day away from home... But she would be proud, too.  _Our baby is walking now!_

He crouched down next to child and creature, still elated by that thought. "That was so good, Doran. Walking all this way by yourself. Well done, my little Mooncalf!" 

Doran giggled as he playfully ruffled the boy's hair. _And all just to cuddle his best friend..._ Who still didn't have an actual name, he realise with a start. 

"We should probably give you a proper name, hm?" Newt looked at the Kneazle and reached out to pet the creature's head. "It's been what, three months now? Four? You're obviously not going anywhere."

She didn't even try to escape his petting hand this time, instead she butted her head against it in demand for more. Today really was full of surprises.

"So, what should we call your Kneazle, Doran?"

"Sel!" he exclaimed. 

"That's not a proper name though, is it?" He mulled about it for a while. _Not Sel... but something similar perhaps._

"Sally maybe? Are you a Sally?" The Kneazle did not seem impressed but his choice of name, though. She hissed at him.

"Alright, alright. Not Sally. Selma, then?"

"Sel-ma!" Doran repeated and grinned as he cuddled the creatures once again. "Sel-ma!" She did not seem opposed to the name either. 

Newt grinned. "Well, that's settled then. Welcome to the family, Selma."

Her only reaction was a gentle purr. 

Selma. They should probably get a licence for her too now. Just in case... Ironically, the common wizarding pet was so far the only magical creature in his care he did not have some kind of proper legal document or licence for. "I'll better go register you on Monday too," he told the catlike creature... 

A tap on his shoulder pulled him from his thoughts. The Demiguise perched next to him, offering him an empty feeding bottle. Slightly confused, Newt took it. "Eh, thank you, Dougal, but the Jarvey young are already fed."

The white creature shook his head and nodded towards Doran. Newt frowned. "Doran doesn't need- Oh! Yes, of course. Thank you for the reminder!" Smiling, Dougal left them to themselves again.

No, Doran didn't need a bottle anymore, but he still needed to be fed regularly. He fished for his pocket watch and saw that is was close to noon already. Lunch time.

"Alright, little man. I've just been told you're hungry."

Doran looked up at that. "Mmmmh."

"Yes, mmmmh food." Newt grinned. "So, do you want to walk up with me or should I carry you?"

 

It was some time ast three in the afternoon when the fireplace in the kitchen roared to life, illuminating the room with a flicker of green light. Newt smiled. 

"I'm home!" Tina called from the kitchen.

Doran stopped playing and looked at him with wide eyes. "Mamma!"

"Yes, Mummy's home," he said and grinned. "Let's go and meet her, hm?"

Newt jumped up and held out his hand out for his son to pull himself up with. For such a small human his son had a surprisingly strong grip. Together they walked to the door leading from the livingroom and stopped just before the threshold. Newt kneeled down behind his son.

"Look, there she is," he whispered and pointed to where Tina was just pulling off her coat in the hallway. "Do you think you can manage that all by yourself, Mooncalf?"

Tina turned around to greet them. "And what are you two whispering about, hm? I'm gone one morning and already you're having secrets?"

Newt was about to reply, but just then Doran took his first step into her direction... without any help whatsoever.

Tina gasped and stared as he took another slow step towards her. "Doran, baby..." Her gaze flicked up to him for a moment. "He's walking, Newt!"

He grinned. "I know, love."

Still flabbergasted, she knelt down and opened her arms to receive her boy. "Come here, my little Mooncalf."

"Mamma!" Slowly but surely, the boy toddled his way all across the hallway into Tina's waiting arms. All eight steps without falling.

"Oh, you've done so well, Doran!" She hugged him tightly and kissed his nose. "Walking all by yourself... My little man is all grown up now, aren't you?"

Doran giggled. "Up!"  Newt chuckled. Of course that was the one word he understood from Tina's praise. 

Tina stared at her husband after hefting the boy up to her hip, still flummoxed by her son. He knew her next question before she could ask it. "I missed his first steps, didn't I?"

Newt smiled. "No, only the practise steps."

"But still..."

He shook his head and closed the distance between them to put his arms around both of them. "Don't even think it, love. You may not have been here four hours ago, but he was so excited to show you just now." He reached up to push a strand of loose hair behind her soot-smeared ear and smirked. "Besides, you got to hear his first word... and it was _Mama_ , too. I think we're even now."

"How did he-?"

"A desperate need to cuddle his Kneazle." Newt grinned and tapped his son's nose. "What else would get you moving, little one?"

"Sel-ma!" the boy exclaimed excitedly, causing Tina to raise an inquiring eyebrow at him. 

"Oh, yes. And we finally gave our Kneazle a name." He looked down to where the creature was patiently sitting and waiting her turn to be greeted. "Tina, meet Selma."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this was not too bad to read... I did not proof-read this as much as I normally do due to lack of time. I had to re-write the entire chapter on short notice because once I started with the whole Father!Newt thing my muse just went insane. That whole Father-Son-Bonding thing was supposed to be just a small filler scene... instead it filled up the entire chapter. Oops. 
> 
> Anyway, next chapter will contain some smutty elements. As always, those explicit parts will be marked so you can skip them if that is not your kind of thing.


	19. Part 3: Fire and Heat (Mature)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **One last warning: This chapter has some _mature content_.**  
>  If that isn't your type of thing, you can still read the first part... it only get's heavier after the break line. The last part after the second break line is safe for a T rating again.

She stepped into the suitcase and climbed down the ladder with a grin. Finally, after a long day of work and childcare, she had some time to herself again. _They_ had some time to themselves again. And Tina had tentative plans to make good use of it... both participants willing, of course.

She found Newt at the work table right outside the shed. He was jotting down a few quick notes on a spare piece of paper that had found its way into the jumble of fodder, herbs and half-finished medicines there, oblivious to his surroundings. Bent over as he was, his face remained mostly hidden by the messy fringe of his nearly too long hair. But one thing she could see clearly even so from her position by the door.

"You really shouldn't do that, you know?"

His eyes shot up in surprise to look at her. Guiltily, his left slowly reached up to retrieve the wand from its inappropriate resting place between his lips and stuck the wooden stick behind his ear instead. She shook her head with a smile as her husband went straight back to finishing his notes. _Must be an important observation indeed_ , she thought. Though Newt had never been very prudent when it came to wand safety in general.

Her feet found their way towards him on their own volition and Tina carefully plucked the stick from its new repository, still too close to his head for her liking. A grin spread over her lips when she caught sight of the all too familiar markings in the wood.

"I used to think those bite marks came from your curious creatures, you know." She giggled and finally placed the wand safely onto the table. "Years later, I know so much better than that."

"Well, they do say that wisdom comes with age." Newt flashed her a smirk before innocently returning the gaze to his paper.

She leaned back against theedge of the table and crossed her arms in front of her chest, now smirking herself. "In some cases at least... others are stubbornly resistant, though." Her challenging expression was completely lost on him. Still, a laugh rumbled from somewhere deep inside his chest.

"Touché, love." Newt finally put the quill away and instead grabbed his wand to send the still drying notes back to the shed. "I take it Doran is asleep, then. What time is it?" He patted down his waistcoat in search for a pocket watch she knew would not be there. As so often, her Magizoologist had left it back in the shed where she had passed it on her way out.

"It's not yet gone seven," she told him and pulled him closer by the lapel of the mustard-coloured garment. "But he's out like a light. We barely made it through the night routine before his eyes fell shut."

"Poor little Mooncalf." Newt smiled and moved to stand before her, following her summons. "I had hoped to be done here before bedtime, but in that case..."

She nodded. "Not even a song tonight." Her arms landed on his shoulders, forming a loose circle around him when her hands linked behind him. "We should let him spend the day with the Kowalski's more often, I think. They tired him out real good today."

Newt hummed in agreement, slipping his arms around her back while stepping closer. "We could do that..."

"Not sure if Queenie would agree to that, though... She _is_ eight months along, afterall."

"Of course she'd agree, she loves her adorable nephew. Everyone does." He smiled at her and reached up to push back a strand of her loose hair. "Something he got from his lovely mother, you see."

Tina snorted and slowly shook her head in disagreement. "Oh, did he now?"

"Of course. Our son has just about everyone wrapped around his little fingers... and Merlin knows, Doran didn't get his charm from me."

Still shaking her head, she chuckled at his ridiculous claim. "Well, from me neither. I got no one wrapped around my fingers and in no situation would I ever be described as adorable... or even particularly charming."

"Not true," he disagreed, cradling her cheek in his hand. "It's quite adorable when you pout. And you are positively radiant with charm when you smile... really, truly smile. A breathtaking sight."

She couldn't resist rolling her eyes at him but he regarded her with such intense affection that she couldn't help but smile afterall. She knew he meant every word... those spoken as well as those conveyed otherwise. Even after years, she had no entirely gotten used to Newt saying nice things about her... and by now she was sure she never would.

He slowly leaned in to brush his lips against her forehead, slowly trailing lower towards the bridge of her nose. A deep sigh escaped her and her eyes fell shut on their own volition. Yes, this was what she had hoped for. Tina inhaled deeply and took in his enticing scent, a familiar mixture of earthy spices and herbs overlaying his own musky scent. Her mind filled with an evergrowing list of things they could do now that their son was fast asleep... Protesting chirps from just above their heads disrupted the moment, though.

Pickett had been perching up in Newt's unruly hair and clearly did not intend to remain there any longer now. She found his expression scrunched up into a long-suffering frown when he pulled back from her.

"Alright, alright." The Magizoologist rolled his eyes fondly at the Bowtruckle and held his hand up to help his friend climb down. "Off you go, then, Pick." He shook his head as they watched the Bowtruckle scramble off towards Dougal's nest, still chirping in annoyance. "One should think after all these years he would've gotten used to this."

"Gotten used to what?" Tina wondered. Unlike him, she still didn't understand half of what the Bowtruckle was trying to tell her most days.

"Sharing me with you." Newt chuckled. "He thinks that case time is _his_ time with me. Yet here you are, taking up my attention again."

"Oh."

He cradled her cheek again and grinned. "Don't worry. A few extra woodlice later-on and he'll be right as rain again. He loves the special treatment."

His other hand shifted down to the small of her back as he spoke, bringing a pleasant warmth with it that heated not only her skin but something deeper inside. Now free of any lurking creatures, Newt leaned close again and brought their foreheads together, circling the tip of her nose with his own.

"And don't sell yourself short like that, love," he continued in a whisper.

A confused frown fell over her brow but his calloused thumbs gently smoothed it away. Tina hummed happily as he then began to nuzzle her neck. Instinctively, she leaned further into the touch and Newt wound his arms a little tighter around her middle, drawing her closer against him as he whispered and explanation.

"You do have someone entirely under your spell. And you made him a very happy wizard when you married him."

It took her a while to register his words, eyes closed in bliss as the nuzzling caresses turned to soft kisses once more. Just as she had hoped the evening would progress...

"I still have no idea how that all happened," she admitted, grinning.

"Me neither," Newt chuckled next to her ear. He busied himself there peppering her skin with the softest of pecks. _But I'm very glad it did,_ they said and repeated endlessly as his lips wandered along her jaw. Tina hummed, whether in pleasure or agreement she couldn't say though, and finally dipped her head to meet him.

Her hand found its way into his hair as they kissed, holding and guiding as the other tugged him closer still. Their movements remained unhurried, though, both favouring the slow-building fire to a flash of flame. It had always been like that between them, and both knew just how to kindle and fan the other's flame.

Hands and lips gradually began to wander, seeking for contact more insistently, and Newt lifted her up onto the table with a grunt. Several bowls and instruments crashed to the ground somewhere behind them, but neither cared in that moment. Tina wrapped her leg around his waist as their kiss deepened and became more urgent now. She grinned against him as his hands pulled at her blouse to untuck it from her slacks, giving him her consent with a barely-there nod. The top buttons of his shirt had been undone a while ago already, granting her better access to lave at his neck and shoulders...

The rising volume of angry shrieks and calls from somewhere behind them broke the couple apart again, hearts beating in tandem and just a little out of breath after what felt like a too short a time of neccking.

" _Galloping Gargolyes!_ " Newt sighed against her, clearly unhappy with the situation, and grimaced in apology. "I need to get back to the Grindylows." He swallowed, clearly trying to get his mind back on the task that was apparently still on hand. "Not the most patient of creatures to begin with... and they've been waiting on their dinner for a good long while now."

Tina noded. She understood. Still, it took all her willpower to let him go after the tender and passionate moments they had just shared. And eventually she succeeded... her hand lingered on his arm for a little longer, though.

"You need some help around here?" she asked. The thing about slow-building fire was that, once properly kindled, the embers just kept blazing... even when the fuel was temporarily removed. The faster her husband finished with the creatures, the faster they could go back to their newly formed evening plans.

Newt grinned knowingly, but shook his head as he caressed her cheek. "No, I'm nearly done for tonight. I shouldn't be long."

"Okay." Her lips turned up into a grin as she announced, "I'll wait upstairs then."

He nodded and finally retreat, one slow step at a time, until they were no longer connected by their outstretched arms. "Don't get distracted again, though," she called after him and smirked.

"Yes, ma'am." Newt grinned and mock-saluted her before picking up the bucket of algae he had probably come to get earlier.

Still perched on the crowded worktable, Tina watched his backside with appreciation as the man hurried back towards the Grindylow habitat. No, he wouldn't leave his witch waiting too long... not after that unfortunate interruption.

She hopped off the table and with a flick of her wand returned the fallen items back to their place. Her grin was even bigger when she climbed back up the ladder to return to the house.

 

* * *

 Here the mature content begins ;)

* * *

 

Newt did not leave her waiting for long... She had barely finished washing and changing out of her work clothes by the time his footsteps sounded in the downstairs hallway before jogging up the stairs. _Eager, are we?_ she thought and smirked to herself as she settled in the middle of their bed. Casually reclined against the headboard, she awaited her husband... eager for his company herself.

His reaction was everything she had hoped for when he finally entered the bedroom not a minute later. While certainly getting out of her clothing, she had not bothered getting into anything new... and Newt froze mid-step upon finding her naked on the bed. His gaze drifted over her in appreciation for a moment as his lips turned up into a smirk.

"Well," he drawled and closed the door behind him without taking his eyes off her. "How fortunate that I did _not_ get distracted again."

She hummed her agreement as he eagerly crossed the short distance to the bed, already pulling off his waistcoat. "And I have some catching up to do it seems." The mustard-coloured garment fell to the floor just before he reached edge of the mattress and Newt gave her one of his crooked grins while fumbling with the cuffs of his shirtsleeves. "Would you mind giving me a hand?"

His voice had dropped to a soft velvety sound by now, wrapping its enticing tendrils around her. A mischievous smile on her lips, Tina shifted and rose to her knees before him. She was eager to do just that...

Her hands landed on his stomach, sliding up to his shoulders over soft fabric and the firm muscles still hidden underneath. They moved on to feel his biceps, dragging the pair of suspenders down with them to slip and dangle by his sides. She found her husband smiling at her just so and hungrily pressed her lips against his to continue where they had left off earlier. Newt gave a low groan before his arms wound around her, drawing her in to deepen the kiss.

Tina melded against his body happily. The fabric of his shirt rasped against her bare skin as she soaked up the warmth he emitted even through the layers of clothes. A well-lit fire. It caused a pleasant tingling sensation along her back, that increased tenfold as his mouth began to wander again. It moved long her jaw and down her neck, accompanied by the rasp of his five'o'clock shadow, to find a way across her bare shoulders. Sighing, she clutched at his shoulders as he began to explore the skin at the crook of her neck more intently, nibbling and suckling and tasting. Pleasant shivers ran down her spine then, causing her skin to erupt into goosebumps.

"Are you cold, love?" His hand ghosted down her back, following the path of her previous shudders. Tina needed a moment to process the words he had chuckled into her skin.

"Not anymore," she finally croaked in reply and felt Newt grin against her neck.

"Good."

Her hand made its way down his front again as he continued to nuzzle and suck at her, leaving delicously freckled skin in its wake with every new button opened. She did not pause to tuck at his shirttails, though, and instead impatiently continued to unfasten his trousers as well. Little puffs of breath heated her skin when Newt chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"So eager..."

The deep rumble of a hum rose from his chest when she finally let her hand slip between the parted fabrics to brush against straining flesh.

"So are you," she smirked and began to stroke him leisurely... giving him _a hand_ as requested.

Newt hummed in reply – and pleasure – and raised his head from her shoulder. "For you, always."

His darkened eyes bore into her when she looked up from where she touched him, muddy green now nearly drowned out by the black of his pupils. His strong arms still surrounded her with their ever-present heat as he let his fingers softly graze up and down the small of her back... fanning her own flames.

"I'd be more than happy to show you," he murmured.

The velvety tone of his voice caused her body to tingle in expectation. "And I'd be happy if you did just that... husband."

Smirking, Newt stepped out of his trousers and underwear when she shoved the garments impatiently from his hips before finally getting his cuffs undone. Tina took a moment to look at the man before her in all his glory after freeing him of his shirt as well. Pale skin, but dotted in a multitude of coppery freckles. Slender in build, but well-toned from his work. Marred by scars, but all the more interesting for it. No, she did not feel cold at all anymore... quite the opposite in fact. And he was all hers.

"Come here."

The comforting weight of his body settled over her as she laid back against the mattress. Braced on his arms above her, his oh so enticing scent of musk and spices surrounded her completely now. She breathed him in and let her hands glide over warm freckled skin, feeling the familiar bumps and ridges of his scars under her fingers. His chest rumbled with a low growl before he finally claimed her in a kiss.

Her arms went to his shoulders on instinct, winding around him and threading her fingers into his hair. Keeping her lover close as his hands began to tease and explore every part of her her body. His mouth soon followed in their wake, eliciting joyful sighs and gasps from her as her fingers grabbed at coarse hair and soft sheets. It was his talented tongue that finally brought her to peak in a moment of selfish indulgence. And it left her breathless and giddy.

Newt resurfaced with a grin, licking his lips as he shifted to lie beside her while she regained her breath and senses.

A lazy smile graced her lips as she curled towards and around him, humming at the feeling of his hardened body against her tender skin. She moved in to bring their lips together again. The musky-sweet taste of herself still lingered there and Newt deepened the kiss with a moan. She moved to cradle his head, threading fingers into his hair again as his hand desperately clutched at her waist to hold her close.

In one well-practised movement Tina rolled them over, pulling him on top of her to settle between her legs. His hand dropped to her hip instinctively, cupping and squeezing her rear as his lips found the curve of her breast. He gasped against her chest as she rolled her hips suggestively against him, her want clear as day.

" _Merlin_ , yes," he rasped in answer as his gaze flicked up to her, pupils blown wide with want and lust underneath his mess of reddish hair. "Yes." He shifted to take himself in hand.

His groan echoed in harmony with her own deep, contented sigh as he filled her in one smooth movement. Tina's eyes fell shut in bliss at the feeling of him, the feeling of his lips lavishing her chest in kisses as he waited for her to adjust.

"Move," she nearly begged as the loving attentions of his tongue finally got too much to bear on their own. He grinned, gently nipping at her skin one more time before rising and settling into a steady rhythm of thrusts that soon had her keen in deep and utter satisfaction.

She cupped his cheek with a smile afterwards and her leg went up to circle his waist as she wrapped herself more closely around him. "Your turn now," she breathed.

Newt chuckled, though, and settled into a slower pace instead. "Not yet." He turned his head to pepper her wrist in kisses, shaking his head all the while. "I want to keep this going just a little longer." His eyes met hers. "Unless... you rather it didn't?"

 _If only you knew..._ Laughter rippled through her at his concerned words, causing him to frown even more. She reached up to brush those lines away, nudging their noses together with a grin.

"We can go as long as you want," she whispered. "I've been thinking about this _all day_."

One of his eyebrows arched in surprise. "Really now?" He rolled his hips into her a little harder, eliciting a low moan from her when he hit just the right spot.

"Uh huh," she breathed. "Ever since you got up this morning."

"You were asleep when I got up."

"No, I wasn't." She smirked. "I just didn't wanna miss the chance to watch you change. Those toned muscles you're hiding so well..." She let her hands slide down his back, relishing in the sensation of his shifting muscles underneath feverish skin, to grope his equally nice backside. "Very... appealing."

Newt chuckled and shifted his weight onto his forearm, bringing them closer together. "If you want to see me naked, love," he whispered into her ear, "you only have to ask."

Her reply got lost in a groan as he kept rolling his hips into her, nuzzling and nibbling and necking her all the while. This night was far from over, it seemed... and she coldn't wait to find out what this man still had in store for her.

 

* * *

Here the mature content ends ;)

* * *

 

Tina blinked awake to a sound she knew too well. Crying. Somewhere beyond the bedroom door now left ajar, Doran was crying.

She turned over in Newt's arms, finding her body heavy as lead after the night they had just had. It was still dark outside, she noticed. Night-time dark, in fact. They couldn't have fallen asleep too long ago.

Her husband tightened his hold around her as she moved, sighing as he burrowed his head deeper into his pillow. She hated to wake him. "Newt?"

He came awake slowly, looking at her with a confused frown. "Huh? What is it?" he mumbled. It took him only a moment to notice the wailing and realise the source of it. "Merlin's beard... tonight of all nights."

Tina hummed in agreement. Their son usually slept well through the night, with only a very few exceptions in the past months. "I don't think I have the strength to move right now," she confessed.

He chuckled. "Me neither." He paused, before making a hopeful suggestion. "Maybe he will stop on his own?"

Tina managed to hopefully ignore her child's crying for what felt like an hour – but in reality probably was less than a minute – before something jumped onto the mattress and butted Newt's feet.

"Selma?" The Kneazle meowed and jumped of the bed again, disappearing back through the door. Tina took the creature's appearance as a sign that it was not just a bad dream keeping her son in tears.

"I'll have a look," she announced and gathered what little had returned of her stregth. Before wsinging her legs out of bed. Throwing on her dressing gown, she made her way to the nursery and picked her son up.

"It's okay, Mummy's here," she whispered. His crying quietened as she gathered him in her arms and held him close. "What's bothering you, little Mooncalf?"

She noticed a light sheen of sweat on his forehead. "Was it a bad dream, baby?"

Wiping the moisture away, she noticed that her son was actually warmer than usual. And not just the sleepy kind of warm either. "Uh oh, that doesn't feel good, little man." He sniffed.

Newt appeared behind her, now wearing his pyjama bottoms and a concerned frown. "Everything alright?"

"He's got a temperature, Newt." She turned around to look at him. "I don't think he was just tired out earlier... he was coming down with a cold. And I didn't see it."

He hugged both her and the baby close. "Don't beat yourself up over this, Tina. I didn't see it coming either. He was perfectly fine at dinner earlier... just quieter than usual."

He took a long look at the patient, still cuddled closely against her chest. "Well, you're too young for a Pepperup Potion, little Mooncalf, but I have something milder down in the case that might help with the temperature. You need some body warmth, though, so stay close to your Mummy while I'm gone, alright?"

"Mamma," her tired boy replied and snuggled closer.

A sweet smile passed his lips and then Newt was gone, brewing up some concoction to help their child get better.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, Baby Scamander will be alright. It's just a minor cold he caught from one of his cousins during playtime. I just realised that Doran is about 15 months old now and has never been sick... so here you go.


	20. Part 3: Full House

On the night of April 2nd, the Kowalski family welcomed their newest member into the world. A little boy with Jacob's dark hair and Queenie's melodic voice. They named him Benjamin.

 

* * *

 

The kitchen fireplace roared to life early on Sunday morning, spitting out a coughing Jacob Kowalski with daughter in his arms.

"Hey Newt," the baker greeted him and put down the bag he carried on his shoulder. He looked rather tired, Newt noticed, with dark shadows under his eyes. He well remembered not looking any better with a newborn in the house... sleep was a luxury not often afforded then.

"Hello. You look like you could need some sleep, friend."

The baker replied with a raised eyebrow. "Why do you think we're here, huh?"

In that moment the green flames came back to life and brought Tina into the room as well, coughing and holding her nephew by the hand.

"Uncle Newt, Uncle Newt!" Sammy called out excitedly and ran to him immediately. Unlike the adults, the children did not seem even remotely fazed by the soot and ashes associated with travel by Floo.

"Hey you!" He caught the boy in his arms and lifted him up to twirl him around in greeting. A relic from his early toddler days that still hadn't stopped. "Merlin's beard, Sammy," he chuckled and put him down gain. "You'll be too big for this soon, you know that?"

The boy merely grinned and hugged him. Tightly. "Can I go play with the Mooncalves again? And the Nifflers!"

Newt winced, prying the little fingers from where they were digging uncomfortably into his burnt shoulder. "Later, alright? First, we'll have to get you and your sister settled in. And then we can see what the Mooncalves think of your idea."

"They'll love it!" he squealed.

"Thanks for taking the little rugrats for the day," Jacob said, probably to Tina since he was still in the vice-like grip of his nephew. "Queenie and I... we really need a day off."

"It's no problem," Tina replied. "You're always there for us, looking after Doran and all. It's about time to return the favour. And you look like you need it."

"That's what I said," Newt added and finally managed to straighten up again as Sammy found himself with an armful of his little sister instead.

"Hey, why don't you two to go find Doran?" Tina suggested, gently steering the children from the kitchen. "He's in the livingroom... with Selma."

Ruth clapped happily at hearing that. "Sel! Sel!" She was nearly as dotty about the Kneazle as their own child was and so the two Kowalski siblings ran off to find their cousin and his pet.

"Is Benji that much of a cry-baby?" Newt asked, now that they were alone again. "I mean... you look like you haven't slept a wink in days, man."

Jacob harrumphed. "He's not worse than the other two, but you know... it's _on top_ of those two. Sammy is always running on full steam until he crashes, Ruth is getting real chatty now and never shuts up unless she's napping. And we're not getting any younger, pal."

He hummed in understanding. So much for the third one being a breeze, as he had still claimed months ago... before Queenie was even showing. Benji was only four weeks old now and already his parents were exhausted beyond measure.

"Well, until tomorrow you only got the one troublemaker to worry about," Tina tried to cheer him up."That should get you at least a little time to catch up on sleep."

Jacob gave her a thankful smile. "Yeah. Thanks, Teen. If you don't mind... I'm gonna say bye to my kids now and then go crash face first into my bed."

Of course, neither of them minded.

 

* * *

 

How exactly the addition of two such small beings as the Kowalski children managed to make the house feel that much fuller was beyond him. Toys were suddenly strewn all over the place and laughter could be heard from nearly every room. Currently, Doran and Ruth were merrily chasing each other around the house, one toy or another in hand, the Kneazle always running somewhere between them. No tears had flown yet, but going by the speed of the two toddlers, it was only a matter of time until someone would crash into something or fall.

Sammy had been part of that hunt too for a while, but the boy had changed his mind and started to follow Newt around like a shadow instead. He didn't say much as he observed his uncle puttering around the house and garden, but always watched with curious eyes and as up close as possible. Every now and then he even asked what exactly he was doing now and listened intently when he told him. 

By lunchtime, the two toddlers had run off their early morning energy almost completely and therefore went down for their naps without any fuss. 

"Now I know why they say having two is easier," Tina commented as they left the nursery behind. "They keep each other busy and tire themselves out. More time for Mummy to do other things..."

"Are you trying to tell me something, Mrs. Scamander?" He grinned, knowing that she was in fact not. But he couldn't deny that there was a small part in him hoping this time he would be proven wrong. 

Some of that hope must have shown on his face. Tina stopped to take his hand and when he turned to face her, she looked rather guilty. She bit her lip as she studied the floor. "Newt-"

"Hey, no." His hand moved to cup her cheek, gently tilting her head up to look at him again. "None of that, love."

She gave him a small smile. The look in her eyes didn't change, though. "I know you want another child, but... I don't think I'm ready to go through that again. Those last few weeks of pregnancy... and then afterwards..." She trailed off, shaking her head.

No, she didn't have to tell him any more than that. He was there after all, seeing her first struggling, then in incredible pain and afterwards miserable from worry and exhaustion... for weeks and moths.

"It's fine, Tina. I know how you feel about it and you don't have to _go through_ anything again, alright?" He tipped his head forward, pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead. "Your choice, love. If you say no, then it's a no. I won't press the matter."

He could feel her relax slightly again, though not enough yet for his liking. He hadn't even meant to bring this particlar topic up just now. The question was supposed to be the start of some playful banter... but apparently he had really put his foot in it with that one. And now Tina was quite obviously hurting because of it.

"Hey, none of that," she repeated his earlier words and reached to smooth the furrows on his brow where it had morphed into a frown. "I know what you were trying to do, darling. It's just... a sore spot." A slow exhale followed. "Sometimes I do think a brother or sister for our Mooncalf would be nice... if only it wouldn't include me getting pregnant again. Quite the wife I am, hm?"

Smiling, Newt pulled her close, hands now resting gently on her waist. "Your _my_ wife, Tina, that's all I care about. And there are other ways to make it happen, you know? So many children without a proper home to grow up in... if you-"

"Eeeeeew. Kissing," it sounded loudly behind them. Startled, Tina glanced over his shoulder and chuckled. Newt turned his head to find their nephew standing just a few feet away at the top of the stair case, making a slightly disgusted face. "You are just like Momma and Papa."

They exchanged a slightly amused look. 

"If you say so, young man." She slipped from his arms, giving him a look that clearly said _later_ , and took the boy downstairs again so he wouldn't wake the others from their nap. "You done colouring already, Sammy?"

"Yes! I drawed Momma. And the baby! And Papa baking sweets!"

"Great. Wanna show me your works?" The little feet sped up immediately, hurrying back into the kitchen to show off his creations. 

Newt shook his head and chuckled ruefully. What an incredibly unfortunate moment to get interrupted.

 

Soon after his return downstairs, Tina steered the boy in his direction, muttering _Your turn_ before disappearing upstairs all too quickly for his liking. The kitchen table, still covered in crayons and half-finished drawings, apparently did not hold the boy's interest anymore. Instead, the raging ball of energy that was his nephew after a feeding exictedly jumped up and down.

"Uncle Newt! Uncle Newt! Can we now play with the Mooncalves? Auntie Tina says we can!"

 _Oh, you sly little witch._ He chuckled, silently admiring her flawless plan to get a little break for herself. "Sure, why not." And so they descended into the magical world of his suitcase, leaving Tina with the more manageable (and still sleeping) toddlers under her care.

 

An hour later, he found his nephew cuddled up with a pile of drowsy Mooncalves, all excess energy spent while bouncing around with them. Thankfully, he was just in time to stop the child from napping, otherwise they'd be in for an interesting (and most likely nearly sleepless) night. Jacob had been right... Samuel Kowalski was running on full speed until his energy had run out.

"What do we have here?" he announced his presence, causing the boy to look up at him. "Looks like I have yet another Mooncalf to care for. Where did you come from, then?"

"It's me, Uncle Newt," Sammy giggled.

"Who now? I didn't know Mooncalves could talk. I really need to write that down!" He turned his back to the habitat, taking a step, then two before the boy giggled again and called out. "Sammy!"

"Oh, that name rings a bell." He turned back around. "Sammy... Little guy, head of blond hair, never sitting still for long. Yes, I think I left him somewhere around here."

"Here, Uncle Newt!" Still laughing, the boy crawled out from the pile of dozing creatures and walked over.

"Ah yes, there you are. Hmm..." Newt held him by the shoulders, looking him over in mock concern. "No, not a Mooncalf at all. Your eyes are far too small for that, couldn't properly admire the moon with those little things." He tapped the boy's nose, exactly between the eyes. 

"No, I'm a boy," Sammy replied and grinned.

"Yes, I quite agree." Newt ruffled his hair and stood up again. "Come on, then. You want to help me feed the Nifflers now?"

"Yes!" he nodded excitedly and ran off again, straight towards the Niffler den, which was bathed in golden sunlight at this time of day. Newt followed after with a smile as the boy watched the family scurrying about in the glittering dark of their burrow. But they stopped all activity as soon as the scent of the nutricious pellets he brought reached their fine noses.

"Uncle Newt, tell me about Nifflers again?" Sammy asked, eyes wide in excitement as one of the youngs took the bisquit-like fodder from his hand to nibble on it.

He grinned and indulged the boy for what felt like the tenth time today. "Well, you already know they spend their days looking for shiny things. They have a sort of sense for it."

"They smell shiny things!"

"Not smell exactly, no. But something like it. They know when precious metals and stones are around and go hunt for them." Just then his first and most annoying Niffler stole not only one but two treats from the box in his lap and quickly hurried out of his reach. Newt chuckled. "Pilfering little pests, they are. Never keeping their paws off what doesn't belong to them."

Sammy gasped. "Oh, like Auntie Tina's locket!"

Newt nodded. "Yes, shiny things like Auntie Tina's locket. Or your mother's earrings." His Niffler had stolen both of those in the years since he met the former Goldstein sisters... repeatedly and among many other things. "My cuff links, too. And any coins they can find."

Sammy's face scrunched up as he pondered the answer. "What do they do with all the shiny things?"

He gestured at the glittering inside of the Niffler's den. "They collect them, of course."

"Why?"

"It makes them happy, you see, being surrounded by so many shiny things. It looks very pretty in there, don't you think?"

Sammy took a good look into the den, nearly crawling into the vacated opening as the Nifflers had climbed out to get their meal, and finally nodded. "Yes, it's pretty."

Newt grinned. No need to tell a five-year-old about the actual reason they collected everything that glittered in the first place... to attract a mate. That whole concept he would glady leave to Jacob and Queenie to explain to their son.

One of the young Nifflers now cautiously sneaked up to Sammy again, snout scrunching up while sniffing for yet another pellet. "I think that one wants another treat from you, Sammy." He held out the box for the boy to take one and the Niffler eagerly pounced on the little hand with his treat as soon as he saw it.

His nephew looked at him in awe. "You know _so_ much about Nifflers, Uncle Newt! And Mooncalves! Oh, and Botrucks!"

Newt couldn't help the laugh as Pickett chirped in indignation from his shoulder. Bowtruckle was still a mouthful for the boy.

"Well, I should hope so," he said. "I spent many years learning about magical creatures, after all. Even wrote a book about them."

"Yes! We have your book, Uncle Newt! On the shelf. It's blue. And big and heavy."

Big and heavy... Well, to a child it probably would be. For everyone else it was just a regular-sized text book, though. "You're right, that's the one. The big blue book of brilliant beasts."

"I like the pictures. And Momma says when I'll learn my letters, I can read your book all by myself!"

Newt chuckled. "Really! And how are your letters going?"

The boy had turned five not too long ago, but he had stubbornly insisted that he was old enough now to be there when Grandpa Scamander taught Flora how to read and write. His niece was only six months older than his nephew, but still... According to ancient Scamander tradition five years was a good age to start teaching. No surprise there, considering that a big portion of his family tree was coloured in Ravenclaw blue. The house of wit and learning.

Surprisingly though, the boy really did not do too bad from what he had heard.

"I can spell my name!" Sammy anounced proudly and promtply began to cite the first few letters of his name... before stumbling on the order of the last two. "U... L. No, there was a E. But I don't know where it goes."

"The E goes before the L," Newt corrected him. "U E L. That was still very impressive, though." He ruffled the boy's hair again, blond just like his mother's. "Keep learning and in a year or five you can read that big blue book at bed-time instead of your mother reading it to you."

Sammy's mouth dropped open in outrage. "A _year_? That's _so_ long!"

"Well," Newt chuckled. "There's some pretty big words in that book. It takes a bit longer to learn those, you know."

"Oh" The boy frowned. "I don't like big words."

"I know, they are very confusing when you still have to learn them. But they won't be for long, I'm sure." Not if Perseus Scamander had anything to say in that matter... As someone high up in the ranks of the Ministry of Magic, his father loved _big words_. 

"Can I have one?" Sammy suddenly asked, pointing to the last remaining Niffler treats in the box. "I'm hungry."

"Eh, no. These are for Nifflers, not humans." Sammy's expression dropped in disappointment. "But I'm sure Auntie Tina has some bisquits and milk for you, if you ask her nicely. How about that?"

"Oh yes!" At the prospect of bisquits and milk even the Nifflers were forgotten and Sammy jumped up to run over to the shed again. Chuckling, Newt distributed the last pellets before going after his nephew.

"Come, Uncle Newt!" the boy called impatiently as he waited by the locked door. Newt shook his head while grinning and unlocked the shed with a wave of his hand. His nephew bolted inside, excited to get to his promised sugary treat. Suddenly he was not so sure, that giving Samuel Kowalski some sugar in the afternoon was the best of ideas.

(He should be right with that suspicion.)

 

* * *

 

The idea came a few days later, when his publisher arrived by his desk with a box of letters for him. Fan letters, Mr. Worme called them. And in those eight years since he had published the first edition of _Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them_ , he had heard from and met with quite a lot of his readers. 

There were the fellow creature enthusiasts of course. Those who enjoyed the book for its non-violent but educative tone and celebrated him for getting this much positive attention to the cause. They often wrote to him to exchange knowledge, inviting him to come visit and study whatever creatures they had chosen to study or breed themselves. And Newt had made quite a few professional aquiantances that way.

There also were the stay-at-home adventurers, who wrote to him. Those who enjoyed his book not primarily for the creatures, but for the exotic places and adventures he described in the text. Not few of them congratulated him for the excellent _fiction_ he had created between those covers. Mosly people who, he knew, would never actually go beyond the borders of the British Isles if it could be helped. He chuckled at such ignorance, but had long ago given up on changing their minds to go and see the world and its wonders for themselves.

Then there were the magical pet owners, of course, who often thanked him for giving them a better understanding of their pet of choice. He never knew what to say to those people, since he was of the firm believe that one shouldn't even own a pet one didn't know how to properly care for. But just as well, he smiled and nodded or put together a few carefully crafted lines that would not offend anyone.

Almost as often he heard from witches and wizards who hoped to find some instructions on how to get rid of whatever magical pest was annoying them. Those he could not always make happy, whether in person or in writing. Though, he did try to make sure some simple instructions on how to persuade the more common house-dwellers to resettle on their own were included in the following editions. Just in hopes that the stream of such letters would eventually dwindle. To his dismay, that had yet to happen.

And then there were children who sent him owls. Newt Scamander had gotten letters from wizarding children of all ages in the past years, some barely old enough to write themselves, others just starting on their third or fourth year in Hogwarts. All of them amazed by the magical creatures he described, and/or deeply in love with the sketches in his book... even if they did not understand all of the text just yet. Young minds, not yet poisoned by the old and deep-seated dislike of those creatures that plagued wizarding society. They would be the one to really change how the wizarding world treated magical beasts in the future. 

 

_I don't like big words,_ came to his mind when he looked at one of those letters from a seven-year-old girl in Sussex. Sammy had mumbled them when he had told his nephew about there being lots of those big, scary words in his book. A book he still very much looked forward to reading. 

Maybe he could work on a more child-friendly version for his nieces and nephews next... One without the exact scientific wording... Less educational and more entertaining in its purpose... and containing a few more of those well-loved sketches to go with it. 

A children's book of magical creatures. Sammy would surely love that. And Doran as well, once he could admire more than his father's sketches.  

It was certainly worth a try. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel my five-year-old Samuel Kowalski sounds more like an eight-year-old? Sorry if that bothered you... I don't really know how child speech works in English, so I just tried to keep it simple and with a few common mistakes in there.


	21. Part 3: Wants and Worries

"Level 4 – Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Beasts."

The frantically moving cage called an elevator had come to an abrupt halt and Tina Scamander, along-side a few familiar faces, stepped out into the small lobby of level 4. 

"Well, good luck finding him," one of the other Aurors from Level 2 chuckled and took off left towards the offices of the Spirit Divion to request consultation. Tina snorted and headed straight ahead to where she knew the Beast Division and its various sub-divisions were located.

It was past 1pm on a Friday in early July. Lunchtime for both of them. Only, Newt was late to pick her up for said lunch... For over ten minutes she had waited at her desk already, her husband was prone to run a little behind schedule after all, but then decided to make her way down here to get him instead. Merlin knew, it wouldn't be the first time he had lost all sense of time inside his suitcase.

The Dragon Research and Restrain Bureau was nearly empty when she took a peek through the window of the door. But only nearly. One lone figure was still inside while the others had left for their own midday meals, hunched over their desk and scribbling on a piece of parchment. That mop of unruly hair was more than just familiar to her.

Newt's gaze went up to the door as soon as she entered the room. "Ah, Tina." Smiling, he got up to fetch his jacket.

"Still working?" she wondered, pausing in front of his desk to peer curiously at the sheets of paper. A number of different lists and memos, at least those sheets on top of the not-so-orderly chaos her husband favoured to work in.

"Not really, no. You're late, love."

Her eyebrow shot up as her attention focused back on him. "Really. _I'm_ late?"

"Uh, yes." Now fully dressed, he stepped around the cluttered table. His hand went to her waist as he gave her a kiss, short but lingering as he mumbled against her lips. "I was getting a little worried, actually."

Tina smiled softly and shook her head. "That's sweet, darling. But you were supposed to pick me up about twenty minutes ago, not the other way 'round."

She could feel his brow crease up in a frown. "Oh."

"Yeah. Oh."

They had made their lunchtime plans only this morning over breakfast... though Newt seemed to be a little scatterbrained as of late. As if there was always something else on his mind. Usually, that was only the case when a new rescue creature had taken up residence in his case, but that hadn't happened in a few months now. 

"Are you sure about that?" he asked. 

Tina chuckled and pecked his lips before pulling back again to look at him. "Definitely, muddlehead."

The frown slowly but surely morphed into an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I kept you waiting... I must have mixed it up with some other day."

"It's okay. Now come on." She tugged at his hand, eager to finally go on her well-deserved lunchbreak. "I'm starving, Mr. Scamander."

 

London was bright and warm when they finally made their way outside the underground beehive called Ministry of Magic. They got a window table at one of the smaller shops near the Ministry, basking in a bit of sunlight during their meal. Admittedly, the Pastrami sandwiches here could not hold a candle to those from her favourite deli back in New York, but they were still quite good. Certainly good enough to enjoy for a blessedly child-free meal without interruptions, spittle or crying. _Always enjoy the small things in life... as long as you still can._

For more than half a year now, Tina had been back to work at the Ministry. Three times a week she spend the day at a desk, sorting through memos and filing reports. Processing whatever new and gruesome intel they had received on Grindelwald and his doings on the European mainland. Brutal murders, torture, kidnappings, riling up the political situation... and it did not look as though the man would be done with either any time soon. So far, all plans to capture or contain this madman had failed. And surely it would only be a matter of time before even Britain wouldn't be safe from him anymore.

"Is everything alright with you, love?" Newt wondered, mustering her over his sandwhich with a concerned smile. "Brooding doesn't suit you."

She blinked back to reality, shaking her head. "Yeah, I'm good. Just... work, you know?"

He nodded. "Bad news, I take it?" 

Tina chuckled, though it was for from amused. "You could say that." Nothing but bad news arrived lately, but it wasn't every day she had to read all the bloody details about an entire village of No-Majs being viped out in the name of the greater good. "This hasn't hit the press yet, but...  Grindelwald slaughtered an entire village again. Him and his followers. This time in Belgium."

Newt blanched. "How many?" 

"All 68 villagers dead, some mutilated. Most of them were farmers, fishermen... and their families."

"68 people..." He put down his sandwich and took a swig of his tea instead. No doubt wishing for it to be something a little stronger. "He hasn't been that bold in a long while."

Tina grimaced. "I know. Makes you wonder... how long until he dares to cross the Channel."

Newt remained silent, frowning into his teacup. Brooding didn't suit him any better, she had to say. Though he did manage to hide at least part of his frown behind the floppy fringe of his hair as he stared out of the window. His meal lay forgotten on its plate... at least, until the waitress came over to refill Tina's coffee and inquired if something was off with it, shaking Newt from his no doubt unpleasant thoughts again. 

"Oh, I meant to ask," he said between the following bites, suddenly trying and failing to hide a smirk. "How is Mr. Graves today?"

Tina chuckled and picked up her own sandwich for another bite. "Auror Graves has taken the day off. Personal reasons." 

Newt burst out laughing. "Graves... has taken the day _off_?"

She nodded. That fact alone was quite unusual. For as long as she had known him, Percival Graves had to be all but forced to take a vacation day. But given the recent events at the Scamander Townhouse, it was understandable... at least to those in the know. Arabella had given birth to a daughter yesterday evening, two weeks earlier than expected and with only one Percival Graves in reluctant attendance. Apparently, the whole thing had been over and done with before either Queenie or the midwife could arrive to assist. A quick and easy labour, a quick and easy birth. Tina was only mildly jealous.

"Poor man," Newt continued with a chuckle. "That must indeed have been a shocking experience, even for a seasoned Auror like him."

Tina wasn't so sure about that. Percy had seen and lived through his fair share of horrors in line of duty... and then some, back in '26. Helping to deliver a baby couldn't possibly shake the pristine Auror that much to warrant a vacation day. It was far more likely he was taking the time to get to know his... _god_ -daughter.

"We should go over there tomorrow and meet our niece," she suggested. And see if any help was needed... though she was sure the resident House-Elf had everything under control even with the new arrival.

Newt nodded. "I'm expected at the dragon reservation in Wales in the morning, but after that I'm free to go check on the newest family addition."

She grinned. "Well, as long as you don't compare your newborn niece to one of the hatchlings you met earlier... I'm pretty sure Arabella won't appreciate any comments on underdeveloped scales or missing tails."

A chuckle escaped him. "Well, for the babie's sake I hope she has neither, love. Can you imagine, with our family name...?"

That, she could. Scamander sounded far too much like salamander and they had been greeted that way on more than one occasion during their travels abroad. Though in Newt's case, the shortened version of his first name did not help the matter.

"Talking about Scamander hatchlings..." Tina grinned as they moved to leave. "Let me remind you muddlehead that _I'm_ gonna pick up Doran at your parent's later. Just in case you mixed that up, too."

Newt rolled his eyes at her, but still offered her his arm to take as they strolled back to work. "You won't let me live that blunder down any time soon, will you?"

She smirked. "Maybe... Let's see how you're doing with our engagements next week."

 

* * *

 

Later that afternoon, Tina found herself roped into having tea with her sister and mother-in-law. She had only come to pick up Doran from his grandmother's care and take him and his ever-present Kneazle back home to their cottage. But instead she was sitting on the wide terrace behind the Manor with a perfect cup of tea in hand, enjoying the early July warmth in the Dorset countryside. And it was far more enjoyable here than in London... a light breeze moved the air, keeping it from becoming as stifling as it did in the city. She sighed and took another sip from her cup. Out here, a lot of things seemed quite different than they did in the city.

"Oh, she got the cutest little button nose, Teen!" Queenie gushed about her newborn niece. "A real sweet girl. Looks just like her mother, wouldn't you say, Gracia?"

Her mother in law nodded, a proud smile gracing her lips. "Right you are, but she'll have Theseus' eyes. Those baby blues are unlikely to change into anything darker than green. Such a cute little thing, our Letitia."

Yes, apparently Arabella's daughter had also gotten her name some time between this morning and now. "I haven't even met her yet," Tina lamented. "Why am I the only one here who hasn't met her yet?"

"Because you've been busy ridding the wizarding world of some weeds, dear." Gracia smiled at her. "Perseus told me about those arrests your people made in Belgium. Five culprits, was it?"

Tina nodded, but couldn't help the frustrated sound. "They're just small fry, though. The real threat is still at large. And I don't do anything but sit at my desk, reading and writing reports all day long."

It was unsatisfying, to say the least. Half a year ago she had been happy just to get out of the house regularly again. To have adult conversations about things other than kids and homemaking and cooking... And she was still glad to have that, but lately an all too familiar feeling in her was stirring back to life again. Working at the desk just didn't seem enough anymore.

"Yes well, someone has to do that job, too," Gracia chuckled. " _Auror work can only be as good as the information they have available._ Wasn't that something you told me? Or was that Theseus?"

Tina frowned and shook her head. "No, that sounds more like the Head of Magical Law Enforcement. Personally, I think there's also a bit of good fortune involved."

How else could the first and so far only capture of Grindelwald back in New York be explained? Clearly none them had had the neccessary information, since just minutes before that revelation most had still taken orders from the man they thought to be their Director of Security.

"Anyway, you're gonna meet her tomorrow," Queenie chimed in, giving her a sweet and innocent smile that told Tina she had read her mind again.

 _Don't you dare tell anyone what you just saw_ , she thought at the blonde, receiving a small nod in return.

"I hope so," she said out loud. "Newt is at the reservation in the morning and you know how he gets around Dragon hatchlings. He'll probably be home late, with no mind for meeting human babies afterwards."

But who could fault him for that? Freshly hatched Dragons were fascinating little creatures... all clumsy with too long, unfamiliar appendages and none of the vicious grace the adults had. They were also the only kind of Dragon you could pet and cuddle without danger of getting roasted or mauled. Unless you were Newt Scamander himself. 

Laughter drifted up from the garden where the Scamander and Kowalski children now lay in a giggling heap, all done chasing each other for whatever made-up game. Since she had dropped her son off early this morning, Gracia had acquired quite a few more little heads to chaperone and command.

Her sister had brought Sammy and Ruth over to the Manor before visiting the fresh mother Arabella in London, since Jacob was busy at the bakery all by himself today. And Flora had arrived around noon with Perseus, so they could continue their lessons in reading and writing in peace. With two babies, their mothers and the begining trickle of well-wishers and visitors, Theseus' house apparently did not make for a good learning environment anymore.

Gracia followed her gaze and grinned. "It seems, they're all out of energy now. That should make for an easy bedtime tonight. No need to thank me, girls."

Queenie chuckled. "I wouldn't be so sure. They're plotting to get some more cookies from Molly."

"Let them try," the elder witch mused. "She and the other House-Elves know not to give the children any more sweets this late in the day. Again, no need to thank me."

The three women broke out in laughter.

"Sammy's idea, isn't it?" Tina commented and giggled. The eldest Kowalski had taken the lead of the little group now as they marched back into the house and he _loved_ cookies, or biscuits as Grandma Gracia always tried to correct him.

Queenie rolled her eyes. "My baby wouldn't think to ask the House-Elves first... he'd come straight to Momma and ask. Or beg Papa to try one of his delicious sweets when I said no. Flora is the matermind behind this one."

"Of course she is." Gracia looked after her grandchildren fondly. "She's a cunning one, she is. Who could possibly be cross with her, looking like a little wide-eyed angel with those blond braids. And Doran is learning from her, have you noticed, Tina?"

So that was where her Mooncalf was learning to manipulate his parents.

"I knew he was copying someone, but I thought it was Newt." A head-tilt, a sweet smile, blinking those lovely green eyes... They both used that tactic on her these days when they knew they had done something they shouldn't have. "They both try it... for his father it doesn't always work, though."

Her mother-in-law gave a ringing laugh. "Well, my son should now better than to cross you anyway. And famous author that he is now, he even knows the proper words to beg forgiveness should he still do it."

While the other two witches chuckled, Tina stayed quiet and pensive instead. Words. That was something she had lately started to think about. Not for Newt, of course. Doran.

While her little Mooncalf had been quite lively and talkative in the earlier months, he recently had become quiet again. Her baby didn't babble and repeat as much as he did before, only used the few words he had already perfected. Compared to his cousin Ruth at his age, he seemed very quiet. Possibly even too quiet. She couldn't help but worry about it.

 _Maybe I'm gone too much these days?_ The question was a familiar one, repeating itself on a regular basis. She worked three days a week, so more often than not her son spent three days a week with either his Aunt Queenie or Grandma Scamander... not with his Mummy or Daddy. At the tender age of twelve months, he had adjusted a lot better to the change than she could have hoped. But maybe... just maybe he hadn't been able to properly process the fact just yet back then.

Six months was a long time for a child, including many new developments as Doran grew up more and more. Maybe he was realising now, that half of the time his parents left him to go away... and grew still because of it. _He must think that Mummy doesn't love him anymore._

"Oh, no honey." Queenie leaned over and hugged her, having picked up on her thoughts. "That's not true at all."

Tina sighed, leaning into her sister's familiar embrace. "Are you sure? 'Cause I feel like he's withdrawing more every day... and it started around the time I went back to work." That timing really couldn't be a coincidence.

"Bushwa, Teen! We've been over this already. Don't beat yourself up for not wanting to be a full-time mother."

"What did Newt do?" Gracia asked concerned, looking between the two of them with a deep frown etched onto her face. "Do you need me to talk some sense into him, dear? 'Cause you know I will."

Tina blinked in confusion, throwing a questioning glance at her sister, then at Gracia. "What? Why?"

Her mother-in-law looked just as confused. "You just said he's been withdrawing from you since you went back to work, dear. We can't have that, can we?"

"It's not about Newt," Queenie informed her, chuckling softly. "It's Doran. She thinks he's... quieter than before she returned to work."

"I don't think it," Tina huffed. "I know it. I leave him alone too much and now he doesn't feel loved anymore." She did her best to rectify that on the days she was home, but apparently it just wasn't good enough. 

"And that's not true, Teen," her sister argued again. "He's smarter than you think. He knows that when it's a play day with his cousins you always come to get him. I've seen it, you know... it's not just his face lighting up with a grin when he hears the Floo Flames, but his thoughts as well."

Tina swallowed. "So... he's not happy when I'm away?"

"Wha-? No! He likes playtime with his cousins, and he likes being with his Grandma." Queenie tapped her temple. "Trust me, I've been cheking to make sure."

"I think you'd know if he didn't like it with either of us, dear." Gracia added softly. "And don't fret about him being a quiet one, either. It's not unusual... especially given that his father was just the same."

Tina perked up a little hearing that. "Really?" 

The elder witch nodded. "Yes. Newt was quite the excited talker up until a certain point... and then he just wasn't anymore. Like Doran. Might even have been around the same age, come to think of it."

"What happened?"

Gracia shrugged. "Nothing, actually. I think he simply became self-conscious about his speech, you know? Because whenever he did say something new after that point, it was never just some babble to try it out. Nearly perfect pronunciation, as if he had listened and learned from his surroundings and practised it in his head until he was confident enough to try it  himself." She chuckled. "Unlike Theseus, who just didn't care about the proper words as long as he got his point across."

Thankfully, knowing this left her feeling a little better. She didn't have much knowledge about what she had been like as a baby,so any piece of information about at least one of them was more than welcome. Doran might be his own person, but her experience so far was that children still took after their parents at least a little.

"Aw, the little rascals didn't get any cookies from the kitchen," Queenie announced, just a few seconds before four disappointed faces returned outside.

Sammy walked up to her immediately, putting on what Tina had dubbed his begging face. "Momma, can we have cookies? Please?"

Queenie chuckled. "No, Shem. It's almost time to go home."

The boy pulled a sad and disappointed face. "Please?"

"Only if you'd rather not have anything for dessert later." Her sister smirked when he started to nod. "Remember, it's a Shabbat dinner tonight."

Sammy gasped, suddenly horrified. "No. Momma, I want the strudel."

"Then there' no cookies now."

The boy thought about it for a moment, hard enough for a small crease to appear between his little eyebrows. Then he nodded. "Okay. No cookies. And strudel for dinner!"

"After dinner," Queenie corrected him quietly as he ran off again to face the expectant mob. Tina could see the little faces drop in disappointment that their second plan had failed as well. Even Doran's, though he was not usually one for sweets just yet. 

"Which reminds me," the blonde continued and moved to stand. "I better take my little brood back home now. Sundown it still a way off, but dinner won't make itself until I tell it to. Are you and you men still coming over tonight?"

Tina nodded. "Of course we are. Given Newt remembers to be home in time..." She grinned. "He already forgot to pick me up for lunch today."

Queenie turned back, sleeping baby Benji safely in her arms. "Well, that happens. Your man's got a lot on his mind."

She frowned. "Do you know something I don't, sis?"

The blonde bit her lips before confessing. "Not much, Teen. Only that he's working on something other than his beasts. But what that is... your guess is as good as mine. He's nifty with his occlumency when he wants to be."

Something other than his beasts... Tina chuckled. There was only one other project Newt had going, and that one was suposed to be a surprise for Sammy's next birthday. A more child-friendly version of _Fantastic Beasts_. "Oh, I think I know what that might be," she grinned. "I just didn't know it took up that much space in his head."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of thoughts and conversations going on here... but this was direly needed as groundwork for the next and last chapter of this fic. And that one will be posted not on Thursday but next Monday, Dec 18th.  
> Thank you all for reading this far!


	22. Part 3: New Plans

Between work, beasts and family time, the fleeting months of summer passed in a blur with June turning into July turning into August without much distinction between them. A few wonderful moments still stood out though.

They had taken Doran on his first vacation, for instance. Well, if two days spent in the Forest of Dean could be considered as such. But it had been just the three of them, the suitcase and a simple tent, away from home and all familiar surroundings. The little one had taken far better to the unexpected change in his routine than either of them could have hoped. Much to their relief. So well, in fact, that they had agreed to repeat the experience just two weeks after the first. And then again the following weekend...

The outings had been Newt's idea, of course, and it hadn't just been a small amount of selfish indulgence that had played a role in those proposals. Well over two years had passed since he'd last taken up his suitcase and boarded a ship to take him to some new destination. And while he didn't feel bored spending time at home with his wife and son, the feeling of being cooped up in the bowls of the Ministry grew stronger and stronger by the week. And Newt Scamander did not particularly enjoy being cooped up. So, off they went during those summer months, whenever they could get away with it. The Forest of Dean, the Peak District, the Lake District, Wales, Scotland.

Much to Newt's delight, Doran loved spending those weekend days outside, exploring forests and wild nature with his parents, meeting magical and non-magical creatures alike, sitting around a small campfire in the evening and falling asleep curled up next to his trusty Kneazle, who strictly refused to be left at home. And so did his parents, of course, with Newt being entirely in his element while Tina enjoyed the breaks and distraction for her evergrowing pile of bad news at work.

By the end of August, Newt had actually convinced Tina to try and take their little trips all over the British Isles even one step further. Favours had been asked, vacation days requested, plans made... and now here they were, gathered around a chipped lavender-coloured flower vase that would take them away to France. Away from the Ministry, away from England and hopefully away from any kind of bad news as well. For a week at least. 

"Are you ready?" Newt inquired, clutching the suitcase in his left while holding onto the Portkey with the other. 

Tina nodded, circling her free arm closer around Doran, whom she had safely strapped to her body in a sling. "This is gonna feel a little strange now, baby," she told him, smiling. "But don't worry, it's gonna be okay. Mummy will keep you safe." 

Newt chuckled as they boy looked at them in confusion, obviously wondering what this fuss was all about. They wouldn't be taking the Floo Network this time around, though. 

" _Portus_ ," Newt murmured, activating the portkey in their hands. A few seconds later, they were forcefully ripped from their kitchen to touch down again in a sunny garden behind a familiar little house. 

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, taking in the familiar scents of a Provence summer as he tried to settle the woozy sensation left behind by the whirling vortex. 

"Shhh. It's okay, little Mooncalf."

He opened his eyes again to find his son in tears, eyes wide open and clutching tightly at his mother as he sobbed in shock. Portkeys were not the most pleasant methods of travel, he knew that. Especially the first time around. His father had warned him, when he had requested the Portkey a few days ago. Newt quickly stuffed the violet object into his pocket and made to take the boy from Tina's arms. She herself did not look particularly steady, either.

"Shhh. You're alright, little one. Here, let me-" But his efforts to comfort the boy were rewarded with the reappearance of Doran's last meal all over his chest. Newt sighed. Nausea... another very common side-effect of Portkey-travel. Thankfully, Doran seemed to be a little better for it, though.

"Mercy Lewis!" Tina exclaimed at the sight, in a tone that betrayed both her obvious worry and slight amusement.

She made to take the boy from him again, but Newt stopped her with a shake of his head. Jostling Doran around even more certainly wouldn't help the sitation. Ever the professional caretaker of beasts and babies, he grabbled for his wand and stoically vanished the mess from both their garments before letting his son settle down against his chest again. It hadn't been the first time, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. One of the perks of fatherhood.

"Feeling a little better now, little Mooncalf?" he cooed softly, stroking the boy's head. Doran nodded in reply, wet face pressed against his neck and collar. "Yes? That's good."

The tears had stopped by now and with this one immediate concern dealt with, he turned to check on his Tina as well. She gave him a shaky smile and breathed through the last after-effects from Portkey-travel herself.

"I'm good," she finally said and straightened up again. "We should get out of the sun though."

Newt agreed. While Dorset had been plagued by a soft drizzle just a few moments ago, here the sun stood high in the sky, creating an almost uncomfortably contrasting heat around them. She took up the case and led the way.

"You just travelled by Portkey, little man," he softly explained as the three of them walked up to the house. "All the way to France, see! And the weather is really nice here." Doran slowly took a peek at his new surroundings, but quickly moved back to rest against his shoulder again. Apparently he didn't feel that much better just yet.

"That journey wasn't so good, was it?" He could feel the boy shake his head, mumbling a soft _No_ into his skin. Newt agreed. In hind-sight it hadn't been the best of his ideas. "Don't worry, you'll feel better soon, Mooncalf."

"You wanna lie down for a bit?" Tina asked the boy as she rummaged around his coat pocket for the key to enter the house. "Maybe we'll have that nap a little earlier today, hm?"

"No," the boy immediately whined in reply and Newt chuckled. Their son had recently entered a phase where he did not appreciate the luxury of taking a nap during the day anymore... at least not until his eyes almost fell shut on their own at some point in the day.

"Alright then. Let's settle in first," he proposed, following his wife into the blessedly cooler climate of the house's kitchen. "And then we can decide on your nap, little man."

 

They moved their necessities into the master bedroom of the house, leaving the baby and his Kneazle to occupy the smaller one right next to it.

Just an hour after their arrival, Doran had drifted off to sleep, deeply exhausted and still a little shaken by the stress of Portkey-travel. And Tina, apparently, had followed suit, curling protectively around her son as they both lay on the double bed with their eyes closed. Newt smiled at the sight when he returned from stocking the kitchen, pressed a kiss to both their heads and sneaked out of the room again, leaving the door ajar. They both needed the rest.

The suitcase and it's menagerie of magical beasts once again had gotten its own designated room across the hall, for practical purposes alone. And with his family slumbering, Newt had all the time he needed to ward the room, keeping any escaped thieves or curious adventurers safely inside the four walls. He had learned his lesson in casting those protective charms when his Niffler had nearly demolished their cottage in a frenzy, just a week after moving in. Tina had not been happy with him, to say the least. It had been her first full day at work. Ever since then, the case was meticulously kept in the small work room, door locked and spells in place.

He made his way down the narow ladder again a little while later, finding Dougal and Pickett waiting for him right at the bottom. "Hello you two."

Dougal blinked at him while Pickett started chattering, pointedly gazing up to the closed lid in question. "Don't worry, they're alright. Taking a little nap, both of them." He grimaced. "Doran took the Portkey a little worse than I had expected, so I guess you were right, old chap."

He helped the Bowtruckle climb onto his shoulder as the Demuguise made a sound of agreement, then took him by the hand as well to lead them out of the shed. "Let's see how the new arrival is doing."

 

* * *

 

Deep in thought over his notes, Newt's gaze absentmindedly drifted out the window. Two familiar shapes appeared in his line of sight, shapes he recognized as Tina and Doran wandering around the garden outside. A smile flitted across his face at the sight and he stood from the bed of the spare room to take a closer look. The two of them explored the as of yet unfamiliar flora of the southern climate together, looking and touching and smelling at the greenery and flowers Tina deemed safe enough for a curious nearly-two-year-old. He chuckled when she quickly stopped the boy from chewing on an old twig of thyme.

A memory rose to the forefront of his mind. Many years ago, on a sunny day in June. He had stood at this very same window and imagined this very scene, wondering if it would ever come to pass... having a family, having a child with Tina.

Back then the fantastic picture of a few seconds had quickly changed back to the reality, leaving him rattled in its wake. Just a Demiguise, clutching at Tina's hand as he explored the garden with her. Today the little boy beside her, wild-haired and curious, would not morph back into someone else, though. No, Doran Scamander was very much a real boy. 

They both had turned to wave up at him now, his son excitedly calling out for him to join them. Newt waved back with a grin and soon the little man was distracted by his own curiostiy again. The little explorer seemed to have discovered a flubberworm on one of the plants and watched the creature eagerly as Tina held him. 

With a smile still on his lips, Newt went back to his notes. Pages and pages of them, scattered all over the empty bed in the spare room as he made some direly necessary adjustments to the lists and timetables on them. His plan. 

The thought had come to him quite suddenly, on a quiet but rainy evening some time back in May. Doran had been deeply asleep already, he remembered, and they had taken the opportunity to cuddle up on the sofa in their living room for a bit. Newt with a quill and notebook in hand to work on his little project for Sammy and the rest of the Scamander-Kowalski-brood while Tina's nose had been buried deep inside a book.

He had asked for her opinion on a word for one of his creature descriptions, whether or not it would be understood by a child. She had only chuckled and explained that what most kids really wanted to hear about were stories about how he came to find those creatures in the first place. And all the adventures he had with them on his travels. So they could feel like little adventurers themselves.

But mulling over how to put his adventures into child-friendly words had left him with only one wish prominently on his mind: going on new adventures.

And so a new idea had slowly but surely taken hold of him, an idea that had he had approached with scientific methods to make sure it would work. To make it perfect. The plan had to be perfectly thought out in order to get the neccessary approval. 

Because Porpentina Esther Scamander would never agree to anything less. Not when it came to the comfort and well-being of their son. 

 

* * *

 

Sitting in a shady corner behind the house, Tina took a slow and deep breath, revelling in the lovely scents around her. Provence. She hadn't been here in years. Only once since their honeymoon, actually. A few days in a more agreeable climate to convalesce after she had been foolish and careless at work, getting hit by three stunners in a fight.

She took a sip from her coffee. Convalescence had only been a thinly veiled excuse, of course. If anything, she had been a little sorer _after_ those few days than before... though that kind of sore had been distinctly more pleasant to come by. Her husband had been really thorough, looking after her needs and his own.

A smirk settled on her face as an idea came to her mind. The little Mooncalf seemed to have recovered perfectly from the unexpected shock of Portkey-travel yesterday, feeling fit as a fiddle again after just a little nap, and kept them on thir toes well beyond his usual bed-time last night. It was still early today, but after a whole morning of running around the garden with her, even Doran wouldn't refuse his mid-day nap anymore. Leaving them with an hour at least all to themselves... 

Tina downed the last of her coffee and returned into the kitchen, where the last remnants of breakfast still sat on the table while both of her men were already on their way up the stairs to change. She'd let her husband have the honour to put their son down to nap today... and greet him with a little surprise afterwards.

 

"Could you put him to bed, darling?" she asked sweetly after lunch. As she had expected earlier, Doran had nearly fallen asleep at the table after exploring the garden all morning. He was only barely keeping his eyes open right now.

"Of course," Newt chuckled and picked the little adventurer up to carry upstairs. "You won't even put up much of a fight today, will you?"

Doran yanwed in reply and snuggled against his shoulder. No, he would not. Poor baby.

She brushed against her husband's arm as he passed her on the way out, nearly purring her next instruction. "Come and find me afterwards, okay?"

Newt smirked, having guessed where this would be going, and nodded before leaving the room.

A flick of her wand and the kitchen cleaned itself before she followed them up the stairs. Cooing and humming reached her ear from the smaller bedroom as she passed the door. Her feet took her past and to the door acroos the hall, though. She needed to get something out of the case first.

Behind the locked and charmed door, Tina found a mess of parchments and papers cluttering the room. Most of the sheets were located on the bed, though some of them had fallen to the floor from the breeze she had brought in with her. She bent down to pick them up again, but her breath faltered as she took a look at them. Those were lists. Lists of provisions. List of items. Maps were strewn in among the collection on the bed. Bits and pieces of newspaper articles as well. She had seen this kind of thing before...

Research. And research could only mean one thing.

"Tina, is that you in there?" The door to the room, only left ajar, swung open again, revealing Newt with a concerned expression on his face. A short instance of relief flickered over it when he saw that nothing seemed to have excaped the case as he had thought – only to be replaced by an anxious kind of tension when he noticed the sheets in her hand.

"What's all this?" she asked, holding up one of the lists in question. Newt shrugged.

"Uh... nothing really." He stepped into the room and closed the door, exhaling slowly before facing her again. "It's nothing."

One of her eyebrows shut up at the obvious lie. "Doesn't look like nothing to me, Newt."

He closed the distance between them and gently took the pages from her grasp, glancing at them for a moment before throwing them back to the bed. He licked his lips before looking at her again. "It really _is_ nothing, Tina... For now at least."

"You want to travel again," she stated. That much was obvious to her, though she couldn't make out just yet where the journey was supposed to go.

"I do." He swallowed, meeting her eyes. "I _really_ do, love."

Tina nodded, arms going akimbo as her mind ran a mile a minute. She should have guessed, going by the number of smaller trips he had so enthusiastically talked her into lately. It really had only been a matter of time, before her wayfarer got a restless again. "Where? When?"

"Well, there's only one place I haven't really been to yet." A small smile flitted over his face when she nodded in understanding. North America. He'd never gotten the chance to fully explore the continent before they had been asked (forced) to leave. "The _when_ still remains to be determined, though... It depends on whether or not I get the neccessary approval."

Tina nodded again. "You need time off for research from the Ministry, since you used your last days up for this vacation. And MACUSA needs to give a green light too, I imagine."

They were legally allowed back into the country by now, but still... given the reputation Newt Scamander had over there, he should better make sure to get all necessary licenses and support from the Congress before embarking on that trip. She had no desire to see him in a cell there ever again. 

Newt slowly shook his head, though, and smiled. "No. I need approval by you."

Tina gaped at him, flabbergasted for a moment. "Me? Do you really think I'd keep you from travelling, Newt? 'Cause we both know that wouldn't go over well, would it. You'd stay, of course, but-"

"No, no," he interrupted her, stepping closer to frame her face in his hands. His eyes lit up as he explained. " I need your approval because I want to take you with me, Tina."

A beat. "What?"

He nodded. "A journey around North America. You, me and Doran. That is what I want to do."

Tina swallowed, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the intensity in his gaze as it bored into her. He seemed to realize it as well, taking a quick step back to let her work through her own thoughts on the matter. _I want to take you with me..._ She shook her head to clear it, sinking down onto the bed behind her.

"You want... _us_ to go with you? Out into the field?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Newt sighed, rubbing a hand across his forehead as he started on an explanation. "As much as I love my work... if there's something I learned in the past years, it's that those trips are far more enjoyable with your company. Worth remembering for more than just the creatures. And just the thought of leaving you two behind for more than a few days-" He shook his head and met her eyes. "-I don't think I'd be able to do that, love."

"What brought this on?" she couldn't help but wonder. "Why now?"

He chuckled softly, stepping closer again to brush the frown from her face. "Working on that book for Sammy... and Doran, too, eventually... Reliving all those little adventures reminded me what it was like, out in the fields." He gave her a smile and gently carded her hair behind her ear, even though there were no loose strands to warrant it. "I enjoyed being home with you two for so long, but... well, you know me."

Tina nodded, unable to keep the small chuckle at bay. "My wayfarer. Always getting a little restless when cooped up for too long."

In those five years before her pregnancy they had barely spent more than six months at a time in England before he'd pitched a new location, a new creature to study, for her approval.

"It's been over two years now," he agreed slowly, cupping her cheek. "I miss it, especially since there's still an entire continent of magical creatures I haven't had a chance to study yet."

A long pause followed, in which she tried to sort through her whirling thoughts. Travelling. Her heart did an exicted jump at the thought. She missed it, too, if she was honest. Or maybe she just missed doing something useful, instead of sitting behind a desk all day. It was hard to tell those two apart at the moment.

"America," she repeated slowly, warming up a little to the thought of going back to her former home. "The great unknown, to you at least."

Newt nodded, exhaling slowly in obvious relief at not being refused outright. His thumb gently stroked along her cheeckbone. "Twice now we've planned to go there, love. And twice something has come up to keep us from it. Third time's the charm, wouldn't you agree?"

She chuckled, thinking back to those failed attempts to discover the great unknown. This time around, everything would be very different, though. They would take a child with them. Because leaving Doran behind for anything more than a week (at most) was just not an option. For either of them, it seemed.

"How long would this trip take you're planning?" she asked, carefully looking up at him. She received a smile in return before Newt bent to pick up some of the notes behind her. He settled down next toher, swiping some of the irrelevant pages aside.

"That's what I was still working on, you see. With Doran in the mix, we'd need more time than if it were only the two of us. Time to travel for one, since obviously he's not very good with Portkeys."

"No," she chuckled. "Our son definitely takes after me when it comes ot Portkey-travel."

Her husband smiled. "Time for sightseeing or other exploration, too. We know now, he enjoys that. And this trip should be fun for the smaller Scamander, too."

A frown crossed her brow when she took in his words. "Wait. All this summer... were those weekend trips trial runs?"

He had the decency to blush, at least. "In part, yes. There would've been no sense in making any frther plans if Doran didn't take well to being away from home yet." He continued in a lower voice. "And I had a need to get out for a bit myself. Something not work-related, for once."

She gave a nod. "And this one?"

"An actual vacation," he replied. "You always bug me to do something for my birthday other than staying at home. So here we are, spending a week in France. Though I admit, I was curious to see how our little Mooncalf would do with Portkeys." 

"Yeah, we found that out alright," Tina snorted.

"That we did. And I've spent part of the morning adjusting the plans for that limitation." He quickly checked over the notes on his parchment, worrying his lower lip as he did so. An anxious habit of his, she knew. "To answer your question... It should be about three months if I keep my research to only a few of the more interesting creatures you have over there. Horned Serpents, Wampus Cats and the likes. Longer, the more I add to that list, of course."

She hummed in understanding. Three months wasn't that long. Their last journey had lasted about the same, and that had been over before she knew it between  days and nights spent observing Fire Flugs and running after elusive Caiporas. Speaking of...

"What about the dangers, though? We can't take a toddler with us to hunt down a beast."

"No, of course not! I would do the dangerous or too boring parts by myself, leave you two to explore on your own of stay in if you like." He gave her a half-smile. "It wouldn't be exactly like old times, but... close, I imagine."

Tina greed on that. It would make sense, having her stay with Doran while the man himself chased after his creatures... at least as long as he didn't leave her alone all day every day to do just that. She wouldn't feel good about letting Newt go on a hunt without backup, but it would be something she could deal with. Better than with the alternative, at least... That way, she would be there to patch him up, should he return in tatters, and go after him when he failed to show up at all.

"I'd need to train up again," she told him. "I don't think Theseus would let us leave the country without a proper Auror escort... so that might as well be me again."

Newt smirked. "Word around the Ministry has it that you're already bringing the duelling instructors to their knees during third-year practice."

Tina shook her head and laghed. "Nothing stays secret in those dark halls under Whitehall, does it?"

He shrugged. "Not when it comes to a well-known duellist such as yourself... It's not every day the recruits see Auror Scamander fight, especially since she's supposedly still off duty."

Something in his tone of voice made her suspicious about his motives. He had known about her joining the third-years for training... and he had obviously been planning this whole thing for a while now, going by the sheer number of notes around them. 

"Is that why you want to go?" she sighed. "To keep me from going back to active duty again?"

"In part," he admitted silently, confirming her suspicion. Tina couldn't help staring at him in disbelief. "I won't lie about it, my love. The thought has crossed my mind, but it's not the main reason to go."

He shook his head. "You know I'd stop you from re-joining the Auror ranks just as little as you'd stop me from chasing after creatures again. As much as it makes me feel better to know you're stuck behind the desk all day... I know it's not what you want. It won't make you happy."

Tina snorted. "No it doesn't. Not anymore, at least."

"I know," he agreed, and Tina shouldn't have been as surprised about it as she was. They'd known each other for years now... of course, he'd know when she wasn't happy. "So it's up to you. Auror on active duty whenever they think you're ready again. Or Auror Escort to you gallivanting husband for a while before jumping back into the action."

He moved his hand to cradle her face again, tipping her head just slightly for a kiss to her forehead.. "You don't even have to decide now, love. Take yor time. And let me know what it will be when you do."

Tina nodded, thankful that he didn't pressure her into a decision just yet. Though deep down, she already knew what choice she favoured.

 

* * *

 

By the end of their week in Provence, Newt's notes had vanished from the spare bedroom. Instead, they had taken residence on the living room table, sorted into neat stacks as their plans slowly progressed into something more tangible.

 

* * *

 

Mr. and Mrs. Newt Scamander greeted the new year in New York City, a tired but awake two-year-old between them as they stood among the crowd on Times Square to watch the ball drop. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is it, for this little story at least.  
> Thank you all so much for reading and sticking with me to the end!  
> As always, your comments and kudos are very much appreciated. Let me know what you think of the ending!

**Author's Note:**

> If you are interested in getting a notification for any new chapter of this story, you can hit that subscribe button at the top of the page or subscribe to my [AO3 profile](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ravensnwritingdesks/pseuds/ravensnwritingdesks).  
> You can also follow my tumblr [@ravens-and-writings](https://ravens-and-writings.tumblr.com/) for updates, previews and other fun stuff about Newtina, FBAWTFT and Potterverse in general.  
> Thanks!


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